Magic School
by soraxtsuna123
Summary: Ponyboy had always wished that his life was full of adventure like in books and movies, but he never thought it would actually come true. One day, he was transported to a new dimension and accidentally enrolled into a magic school. However, he had to return to his world before both worlds collapses, keep his secret that he didn't belong there, and save the school from a dark force.
1. Chapter 1

It seemed like life was always repeating itself, like it was a broken record that no one cared enough to throw away. The day would always have a similar schedule: get up, go to school, do homework, go to bed. Life was wasted. At least, that's what Ponyboy thought. On the books that he read or the movies that he watched, the main character was always thrown in a hectic storyline. Ponyboy wanted a life like that. A life where every day was new.

Ponyboy was sitting on the field, pulling blades of grass out one after the other. His green-gray eyes watched the runners sprint on the track. He glanced at the setting sun before looking expectedly at the coach. It was almost time to leave.

After the last wave of runners finished their sprint, the coach blew his whistle, motioning to the general direction of the locker rooms. Everybody got up, a new burst of newfound energy running through their veins, and ran to change out of their damp shirts and horribly short pants.

Ponyboy took his time and was the last to enter the locker room. By then, most of the boys had already changed back into their clothes and left. This was another thing Ponyboy hated. He didn't fit in anywhere. The majority of the team were Socs and the middle class. Obviously, he wouldn't get along since he was "white trash" to them. He didn't fit in with the greasers either. Ponyboy was just different. He enjoyed books and movies and watching the sunset. No greaser would take the time to do that. At least greasers wouldn't jump other greasers, unlike the Socs.

When Ponyboy finished changing back into his clothes, he picked up his books and backpack and left the near-empty locker room. The only guys who stayed back just wanted to talk to their friends before driving back home. Ponyboy, on the other hand, had no company on his walk back home.

As soon as he stepped out of the locker room, the leftover team rushed through the doors and pushed him down. The books in Ponyoby's hands were strewn across the ground and trampled on as the Socs left. With a heavy sigh, Ponyboy picked up his textbooks that he had to lug around because the school was too cheap to buy more. Lastly, Ponyboy picked up his reading book that he checked out from the school library.

Crap. When was that book due again? Ponyboy opened the cover and silently cursed to himself. The book was due today. Is the library even still open? Without much thought, Ponyboy entered the school through the locker room and down the empty hallways. His footsteps echoed on the floor. As he was ascending the stairs, a shadow passed through the corner of his eyes. Ponyboy whipped his head around, but no one was there. Shrugging, Ponyboy continued his trek.

As he was walking down the hallway again, listening to his clapping footsteps, his blood was cold and his sweat trailed down his neck and back. His body was on edge and it felt like somebody was going to pop out of nowhere to scare him. But then Ponyboy heard an extra set of footsteps. He stopped walking to make sure he was hearing correctly. There were a few more footsteps before they stopped as well. Ponyboy looked behind his shoulder, but didn't see anyone. He continued to walk, pace significantly faster. The other set of footsteps went just as fast. Ponyboy kept glancing back to see someone, but the hallways were always empty.

Eventually, Ponyboy made it to the library. He sighed in relief before a shadow passed behind him. Ponyboy's breath hitched as he looked, but the shadow was gone. Timidly, Ponyboy turned the door knob, but it didn't budge. Locked. Damn it. He peered through the window. Maybe someone was inside still. But, instead of seeing someone, he saw an illuminating, bright light from another room. He pressed his face harder against the glass to get a better look, hands using the doorknob for leverage.

All of a sudden, the knob gave away, and he fell to the ground with a crash that would make anyone wince. Groaning, Ponyboy picked himself up. Wasn't that door locked? He must have been wrong.

"Hello? Is anyone here?" he called out, shadow long forgotten. "I need to return a book."

He received no answer. Ponyboy walked to the return box and placed his book inside. Technically he turned the book in on time.

He walked back to the door, turning the doorknob, and walked through. But, instead of the school he was so familiar with, he was in another hallway that was foreign to him.

Windows stretched down one side of the wall, letting sunlight illuminate the hallway. It was no longer dawn but the early afternoon. He looked out the windows, but only saw rows of trees. Another factor that was strange. He was in Oklahoma. There shouldn't be this many trees next to a building unless purposely planted. Oklahoma was a plain land and the few trees that were indigenous there, were not the trees planted outside.

A sign was set up in the center of the hallway that read: _Exam this way_. Maybe he could ask questions on where he was. Ponyboy should have just turned back, but sometimes he just doesn't use his head (a shame to his eldest brother Darry, because he was so smart and all) and curiosity killed the cat. Heck, satisfaction brought it back, so what the hell? With that in mind, Ponyboy followed the sign to another door. He pushed it open and hundreds of eyes turned to him like he just murdered someone.

"Mr. Curtis, I'm glad you can make it! Sit down, please. The test is about to begin," a man in the front of the room said. Ponyboy took a step back, looking bewildered. How did the man know his name and what test? He didn't sign up for a test. The students looked at Ponyboy expectedly. With red ears and a large gulp, Ponyboy sat down at an empty desk, a packet and pen already in front of him. "You have one hour to complete this test. You may begin."

Ponyboy flipped the book open instinctively. He guessed he had no choice. It was a math question. Before Ponyboy could try to solve it, the question changed to another math problem, then another.

"What?" Ponyboy muttered. Maybe Ponyboy was just tired. He combed his fingers through his greasy, light-auburn hair. He raised his hand.

"No questions and please don't disturb the other test takers," the man in front of the room said, going back to observing everyone.

With a sigh, Ponyboy placed his hand on the packet. The questions stopped changing, to his surprise. Picking up the pencil, Ponyboy answered the questions one after the other. He finished the test, feeling uncertain, right before he ran out of time.

"Time is up. Turn your packets in. You will be receiving a paper with your next location of the test."

Everyone stood up from their seats to turn in their packet. When Ponyboy gave his packet to the man in front of the line, it was placed in a box before a paper was produced from it. The man gave Ponyboy the paper before he was shooed away.

Ponyboy followed people out of the room, looking uncertainly at the paper. He didn't know where he was going. The crowd led him to another long line he had to wait for. He felt more nervous as he got closer. He didn't know what was going on or why he was taking this test with people that he had never seen in his school. He didn't know why they were testing them one-at-a-time or what would happen if he failed.

Finally, he was called into the room. The room was pretty spacious. On one side, there were some older folks behind a desk. The man in the middle smiled kindly, eyes twinkling. He looked like he was a hundred years old, but, for someone that old, he looked so alive. "What is your name?" he asked, taking the small sheet of paper from him.

"Ponyboy Curtis," Ponyboy answered stiffly.

"I've never heard of that name. Anyways, let's get this test over with. I'm sure you have some questions. Show us some magic."

Ponyboy froze. "Excuse me?" Did he hear him correctly? Did he really just say 'magic'?

"Show us your magic."

"Magic?"

"Is there a problem? You passed your written test. This shouldn't be a problem."

"I can't do magic." Maybe Ponyboy hit his head and passed out when he was pushed. That had to be it. He was dreaming. Ponyboy pinched his arm, expecting to not feel anything, but winced at the sharp sting. Okay, he wasn't dreaming. This was real.

"Sure you can. How else could you have passed that test? I'm sure that you noticed something strange about it."

Ponyboy gasped. "The problems were changing."

"Yes. You needed to use magic to stop the questions."

Ponyboy didn't believe him. Magic didn't exist, as much as he wanted it to. They were only stories. "I don't know how to do magic."

"If you don't do magic, I'm afraid you would fail. What happens when you fail is not pleasant, I assure you."

"What happens?"

"Fail the test and find out."

"But I can't do magic."

"I'm sure you can figure it out. You're a clever boy."

Ponyboy tried to think of something, but he couldn't. It was impossible. He couldn't just do something new on the spot, especially if he didn't know how to do it. He didn't even know it actually existed until then. "I can't." He hated giving up. He didn't want to give up. A part of him wanted to see what would happen if he passed the test.

"Do it!" Another person sitting behind the desk snapped. "You're wasting our time. There are other people waiting to take the test."

"I can't." Something was bubbling in him that he couldn't place. At first, he thought it was anger or annoyance, and maybe it was. But this felt different. This felt powerful.

"Do it now!"

"I can't!" Something snapped in him. The lightbulbs around him exploded, casting the room in darkness. The electric that charged the bulb gathered around him like a shield. Ponyboy's eyes were wider than plates. The hairs on his arms stood on their ends (he was sure the hair on his head would have done the same if it wasn't greased down) and his body vibrated with energy. He couldn't believe it.

But as soon as he could process the scene around him, the shield of lightning was gone. The energy was sucked out of him as the lights repaired themselves, leaving him dizzy. He closed his eyes tightly until his dizziness dispersed.

"Congratulations, Mr. Curtis. You passed," the old man said, smiling. "Welcome to Clonora, School of Mages."

"What… _What_?" Ponyboy was astonished beyond belief. What just happened? Did he do that?

Blood dripped on the ground. Ponyboy covered his nose with his hand before bringing it back. The corners of his vision started to darken as he tried to focus on his red hand. His head felt light and his stomach was doing flips. The next thing the boy knew, the ground was meeting his eyes before everything went black.

 **o-o-o**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own The Outsiders. This also has a lot of inspiration from the show The Magician.**


	2. Chapter 2

When Ponyboy cracked open his eyes, he was lying on a bed. Light shone through a window, white curtains fluttering against the tender breeze. Where was he?

He glanced around the unfamiliar, uninhabited room, eyes landing on a piece of paper on his nightstand. Nonchalantly, Ponyboy sat up, thin blankets sliding down to his lap. He picked up the small sheet before everything came rushing back to him like a bulldozer.

 _Magic_.

The piece of paper was his schedule for the school he unknowingly enrolled into. A magic school. Golly. What was the gang going to think? How was he even supposed to get back?

Ponyboy was jolted out of his thoughts by a bell (not a bell he would hear in his school, but an antique bell that would be found on top of a bell tower). What was going on? This couldn't be real. But, who was Ponyboy kidding? Everything had to be real. It was proven many times already.

He slid out of his bed, looking around the room. His fingers brushed against the surface of an old desk. It looked like it was just cleaned moments before his awakening. He opened his drawers, finding clothes folded neatly inside. The clothes weren't necessarily a uniform. They were more casual-wear if anything. With a shrug, Ponyboy slipped on the garbs and grabbed the messenger bag near the door. He flipped open the bag, finding his class books inside.

He guessed that he was going through with the school. Even though his stomach was flipping with nervousness, Ponyboy couldn't help but feel excited. He was going to a magic school, after all. Magic: something he didn't know could exist until recently; something he wanted to be real and be involved with ever since he could read. Although he should be finding a way back to the gang (which he will do), he wanted to go to the school and see what it was like.

He left the room, looking around the bustling corridors of students, most of which were in the test room with him. Ponyboy glanced at his schedule.

Spellcasting, Beastiology, Herbology, Flying, Potion making, Divination, and Magic History? What kind of classes even were those? Where even were his classes?

He tried to move forward, planning on following everyone else, when he was shoved.

"Watch it!" someone hissed and scurried away without much of a second look.

Ponyboy shut his eyes, preparing himself for a painful impact with the floor. Instead of hitting the hard ground, his back pressed against someone's chest and arms wrapped around his torso. "Whoa, there! Be careful!" a familiar voice exclaimed.

Pulling himself away and turning around, Ponyboy answered, "Sorry… I was…" He trailed off once he looked at the person's face. "Two-Bit?"

Two-Bit cocked his head in confusion. He replaced the confused expression with a big smile. "Two-Bit? Why'd you say that?"

So it wasn't Two-Bit? Ponyboy scratched his head. But he looked exactly like him. He even had the same goofy grin. "I thought you were someone else..."

"Two-Bit… I dig the name. The name's Keith." So it _was_ him? It couldn't be. This Two-Bit was different. There was no way Two-Bit could forget about him or his nickname. Maybe it was a misunderstanding.

"Mathews?"

Two-Bit blinked in surprise. "Yeah, how'd you know?"

"J-Just guessed. It fits your name." Ponyboy lied. This had to be a prank.

"Good guess. Are you a psychic type?"

"A psychic type?"

"Oh, you're a first year. You don't know yet."

"Um… My name is Ponyboy Curtis." It was weird to introduce himself to him.

"Is that really your name?" Two-Bit burst out in laughter and Ponyboy could feel his ears heat up.

"Excuse me, but please go to your first class. You're about to be late." The two were interrupted by an intimidating, old woman. She glared at them and Ponyboy looked around to see that the corridor was empty. When Ponyboy turned back around, Keith was gone. "That darn boy hanging around where he doesn't belong. If he continues like this, he'll be expelled… And, you! Get to class."

"Um, I don't know where they are," Ponyboy confessed.

She sighed. "Very well, follow me."

Ponyboy followed her through the maze of hallways. He was certain he would get lost in the future. When they reached the classroom, the woman turned around and sneered, "Next time when you're lost, find your way yourself. The hallways are always changing." She turned around and stormed away, heels clomping against the stone floors.

Ponyboy pushed open the large, wooden doors. Heads turned towards him, but returned back to what they were originally doing. Ponyboy sat down in a random, wooden desk, separate from everyone else. Slowly, the class was filled with students. Although the class was filled, the teacher didn't show. Students were getting impatient as they waited for the teacher to arrive.

"This is bullshit!" a student screamed, slamming his hands on the desk.

"Calm down. I'm sure the teacher's going to come. It is the first day, after all," a girl soothed. Just as she said that, the doors flung open, a gust of wind flooding the room. A falcon flew inside, landing straight on the desk, its sharp eyes stared at each of the students as if judging them. Suddenly, the image of the falcon shimmered before it started to morph and grow, feathers turning into skin.

"Welcome, my students, to my class," he introduced, rubbing his slightly drooped nose and scratched his bald head.

The rowdy student sat down and muttered, "Finally."

"Firstly, I would like to congratulate you in passing the entry exam. Magic is extraordinary. It can be both destructive and beautiful. Observe." The teacher looked at a beam of light that shone through one of the big windows. He touched the light making it shine brighter in a small ball. The class was awed, completely captivated. He moved his hand away and the ball went back into a beam. He encircled it with his thumb and index finger, and stood there to the confusion of the students before the smell of smoke filled the air and heat hit the side of their faces.

The students all turned around and followed the beam of light a burning book. The teacher did a few hand signs before the fire stopped and the book healed itself.

"Cool…" someone whispered.

"Cool, indeed. You will be using magic on a daily basis, but do not take that for granted. You must also survive without the use of magic and do things yourself. Although magic is a great shortcut, it doesn't come without a cost."

"What kind of cost?" a student asked.

"If you do a spell wrong, you can get killed or hurt. If you perform a spell that goes beyond the reach of your energy, the spell will kill you. There are certain spells that are really dangerous and almost always fail. For example, beauty spells. Your face will be something no one wants to look at."

"How do you know if a spell is too much?"

"You will be consumed with the want to perform the spell, so you wouldn't be able to stop. Your arms would start to burn, which is a warning." The teacher paused. "But you wouldn't be performing spells like that. You are first years, after all. No need to worry."

When class ended, Ponyboy was excited. Usually he wouldn't want to continue the day, but he wanted to start spell casting as soon as possible. Magic was exhilarating. It totally blew his mind.

"Oh, Horseboy!" Ponyboy heard. He rolled his eyes and turned around. Keith was grinning as he caught up to him.

"It's Ponyboy, Two—Keith."

"Yeah, whatever. Where are you headed?"

Ponyboy shrugged. "To my next class—if I could find it."

"You're trying to be a model student?"

Again, Ponyboy shrugged. "I have to do well."

"That's true, you wouldn't want to do bad here or else they would drop you after failing a quarterly test. Don't know what happened to a few students… they just disappeared or they stayed on campus."

"Why do they stay on campus?"

"I don't know, but they were never the same. They don't talk and all they do is walk around the school, looking lost. They're really boring."

"Oh," Ponyboy gulped. He couldn't help but feel scared. Ponyboy sucked at performing magic. He just didn't get it. He only performed magic once and he didn't understand how he did it. "Well, I better get to my class."

"Okay. See you later, Horseboy."

"It's Ponyboy." Ponyboy looked around the area. He was never going to survive if he couldn't find his way around.

"Are you lost? Need help?" Keith smirked. He looped his arm over Ponyboy's shoulder. Ponyboy looked into Keith's eyes that glinted with something he couldn't place. One moment he was standing nowhere near his next class, and the next thing he knew, his world span around him, stomach flipping. Keith's arm disappeared from around his shoulder as he tumbled forward. It was a good thing he didn't have breakfast or else he would have thrown it all up. "I forgot that happened whenever I transport someone."

Ponyboy steadied himself. He was going to thank Keith but was interrupted. "I have to book it," Keith said, giving Ponyboy one more goofy smile before disappearing in thin air.

 **o-o-o**

The beastiology and herbology classes were pretty boring. It was the first day so the teachers were only discussing everything the class was going to cover. It was the same with most of his other classes. But then came his flying class. Ponyboy was hoping that the class would be like the others and be a discussion. He wasn't prepared to walk out on the field and being handed a broom.

"I want to see everyone's skill level of flying before starting," the teacher announced. Fuck.


	3. Chapter 3

Ponyboy stared at the broom in his hands with uncertainty. His fingers tapped against the splintery staff restlessly. There was a bicycle seat strapped on the broom for convenience and comfortable sitting for every gender. The bristles were old and stringy, some straws bent.

"Please mount your brooms," the teacher instructed. Ponyboy did as he was told, gripping the staff tightly. He looked around and was relieved when he saw some nervous faces in the group of students. Maybe he wasn't the only one who had never ridden a broom before. Of course, the cocky faces of some of the other students didn't help his nerves. "I understand that some of you never flown a broom before. The broom is fueled by your concentration of magic. To start, fill your brooms with magic and control it by lifting in the air. Afterwards, you may lean to move forward or change directions. But, for today, we will only be lifting from the ground."

Closing his eyes, Ponyboy imagined his magic using his arms like a tunnel and entering the broom stick through his fingertips. The broom practically rumbled to life like a car. Ponyboy then imagined the broom lifting slowly and steadily and it followed, picking him up from the ground. He peaked open his eyes and widened them in shock, but as soon as he did that the broom dipped. Quickly, he closed his eyes, steadying the broom again. Again, he opened his eyes, looking around. There were some students that were already flying around, bored of waiting for the other students. The others were struggling just as Ponyboy was. One student was hanging onto the broom upside down until finally falling hard on the ground. Focusing on the other students, Ponyboy didn't see that his own broom was tilting before it was too late. One moment he was levitating, and the next his body was slammed onto the grass and dragged until he let go of the broom.

Ponyboy decided there that he hated flying.

 **o-o-o**

When lunchtime came, Ponyboy followed the horde of people to the lunch hall. He looked around. All of the tables were filled and Ponyboy was worried that he would have to sit on the ground. But like a heavenly blessing, someone called out, "Over here!" Ponyboy turned around, thinking that it was intended for someone else, and found Keith waving him over. Two-Bit would never let it down if he knew that, for that moment, he thought he was an angel. Ponyboy slithered through the barrage of people to be engulfed in Keith's shoulder hug. "This is Horseboy, he's a first year. I met him earlier today."

Ponyboy rolled his eyes. "It's Ponyboy." Chuckles came from the table. Ponyboy sighed. It wasn't the first time people made fun of his name. He dragged his eyes from Keith to the occupants of the table and his body went rigid.

"That's a weird name," Steve snorted. Ponyboy gapped, unable to form words. What was going on here?

"M-My dad liked original names," Ponyboy finally managed out.

"My dad did too. He named me Sodapop. This is Steve. And that over there is Darry." Soda pointed towards the other male across the table.

"O-Oh. It's nice to meet you."

"Sit down!" Ponyboy complied.

"Come to think of it, your last name is Curtis like Darry and Soda," Two-Bit said. "And none of y'all are related. Are you sure you and Soda aren't brothers? You look awfully alike. You share the same last name and your father named you both some weird name."

"We're not," Soda confirmed, smiling without a care in the world.

"But it's still weird though," Steve mumbled.

"So, have you taken your type test yet?" Soda asked. Ponyboy shook his head.

"I think he might be a psychic type. He guessed what my last name was when we first met," Keith said. The others looked surprised.

"I might be," Ponyboy dryly chuckled. He really didn't guess. "What do psychic types do?"

"Psychic types are rare because they don't use physical magic. They can read people's minds, see memories, enter dreams, have premonitions, and talk telepathically," Darry explained.

"I definitely haven't had any of those moments."

"That's fine. The types don't start developing until around the time of the test," Soda said.

"What happens if you don't have a type?"

"Everyone has a type. There were some cases where they couldn't figure out the types of some people. They we just marked as inconclusive and sent back to go back to their normal schedule," Steve explained. Ponyboy let out a sigh of relief that he didn't know he held in.

"Worried about it that much?" Two-Bit asked. "It's fine. I was actually marked as inconclusive for a bit before they told me I was a traveler."

"A traveler?" Ponyboy questioned.

"I'm the rarest of the types." He puffed out his chest in pride.

Steve rolled his eyes. "That's because travelers die easily. They always fall into lava or something before they could control their teleportation powers."

"You're just jealous because you're a ferrous type. Bending metal isn't fun at all."

"Stop it. You'll scare the boy," Soda interrupted jokingly. "I'm a clerical type. I can heal the living."

"I specialize in terrakinesis," Darry said. "I control the earth."

"Just rock," Keith said. "He can't do anything with sand or nature."

"Oh. So, what's the purpose of segregating everyone?" Ponyboy asked.

"It's just to know what your specialties are. You still have classes with the people you usually do. They types are the things you can do without casting a spell. For example, one of the first year's teachers—I forget his name—can bend light. Usually spells have words and/or some hand movements, but he can do it without any of that. Other people can do your types magic with enough practice, bit it'll be harder," Darry explained. "People don't really try teleportation magic or psychic magic."

"That's because teleportation magic can kill you," Steve complained, wrinkling his nose.

"And I wouldn't want any chance of being trapped in someone's dream." Behind Darry, Ponyboy saw some movement. A head popped up behind his shoulder and Ponyboy jumped back in shock.

"What is that?" he asked, pointing to the stone monster that clung to Darry's shoulder. It had bat-like ears, and nasty teeth and claws. Large wings stretched across its back, and Ponyboy didn't know how he didn't see them before. Its red eyes scrutinized him like he was next on its dinner plate.

"You've never seen a gargoyle before?"

Well, Ponyboy had seen gargoyles, but, in his world, they weren't alive. He shrugged. "I've seen them before, but…"

"Not as a familiar?"

"A familiar?"

"They help you with magic. You'll be getting your familiar after your midterm test. Mine is named Stone."

"That's not a very original name," Ponyboy said, indicating to the gargoyle that was made out of stone. The gargoyle growled as Darry glared at him. Maybe he shouldn't have insulted his uncreative names, they "just met" and all. He always had a rough relationship with Darry, and having a clean plate was something he always wanted. He didn't want to have some sort of uncomfortable, brotherly rivalry like in his world.

"My familiar is a unicorn," Soda interrupted, sensing the tenseness. "His name is Mickey Mouse." Ponyboy almost laughed at the name. Maybe some things don't change much in both worlds.

"He named it after some story that was passed down by his ancestors. Something about a mouse and a boat, or whatever?" Steve said, rolling his eyes. He dug in his pocket and pulled out a small, blue man that had the face of a goblin. "This is Gizmo, the gremlin."

Ponyboy turned to Two-Bit, expecting him to show off his familiar. He grinned and pulled out a small man about the size of his hand. He had white hair, and a long, gruffly beard. The miniature figure wore rugged clothes, but the most distinctive article wasn't the boots that curled at the toes, bit the pointy, red gnome hat. "This is my lupin."

"Named?" Steve was grinning and the others held back smiles as if they knew an inside joke.

"Little Me."

Ponyboy choked a bit. "Little Me?"

"I didn't know I was naming the familiar until it was too late. But he is awesome."

"What can he do?" But Ponyboy never got the answer as he was cut off.

"Food's here!" Two-Bit interrupted happily. "I was starving!"

Like a wave, food appeared out of nowhere on large platters. Ponyboy had never seen this much food all at once in his life. His mouth salivated as he, and everyone else in the hall, grabbed the food. It didn't take long before he finished his plate. People were beginning to leave and Ponyboy was just as nervous as he was in the morning.

"What's wrong?" Soda asked after noticing the discomfort.

"I'm just having trouble finding my classes."

"You're having trouble with the moving classrooms? They easiest way is to develop your own way to get to class to class, but since you're new, you have to find a pattern. That's all I can really say, sorry."

"That's fine. Thanks."

The lunchroom was cleared out and Ponyboy rushed out of the lunch room. He was walking down the corridors, lost. He sighed. He was never going to survive if he couldn't find his classes. The corridors were almost empty by now and he was about to ask for help when he heard a whisper, almost inaudible.

" _I just want today to end."_

Ponyboy would have dismissed it if he didn't recognize the voice as the guy who questioned the teacher in his first period. Since there wasn't enough first years to form two classes, they just stuffed all of them together. He turned around to search for the student to follow them in the class, but no one was in the corridors by now.

Shrugging, Ponyboy continued forward. He only made a few steps before the same voice talked again.

" _The teacher is always late."_

This time the voice was louder. Ponyboy turned around, but, once again, no one was there. He continued down the corridor, the voice increasing in volume, until he found where the voice was omitting from. He opened the door, and, to his relief, found his class. It was just in time too. A hand was placed between his shoulder blades and gently pushed him forward to the desks.

When the day finally ended, Ponyboy slumped down in his bed. He turned over, expecting to see his brother there, but the side was empty. He sighed, curling into himself. He wondered if they were searching for him on the other side. They had to be worried sick. He had to get back somehow.


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning, Ponyboy found his classroom by listening to the voices again. He sat down in his desk, waiting for the teacher to enter the room. As soon as the teacher burst through the doors, excitement buzzed through the classroom. The teacher did a few hand movements before chalk raised from the chalk board, writing the word _Levitation_. From a basket, small, brass balls were distributed to each student.

"Seriously? Levitation?" one student sneered. They leaned back in their chair, kicking their feet up on the desk, as they levitated the ball with one movement of the finger.

"Yes. Some students here might not have perfected levitation or have done it at all," the teacher answered.

"Oh, you mean the burgles? Why does this school even bother with teaching them?"

"They're just as magical as pure bloods. Now, please quiet yourself before I will force you to be quiet."

The student closed his lips in a scowl and Ponyboy averted his eyes to his hands, which were suddenly the most interesting thing in the world. He guessed he couldn't escape the prejudice after all. People are going to find out that he is a 'burgle' after this. Suddenly he wasn't so excited anymore.

The teacher demonstrated the hand movements and spoke the words, _'Light as a feather. Let gravity lift this object altogether'_. Ponyboy fumbled with his hands, eyes fully concentrated on the brass ball in front of him as he ignored all the students who already knew how to do this. The movements felt weird as he wasn't used to flexing his fingers in strange shapes, but he could also feel a light tingling in his fingertips, like his hands were placed on a running car. He uttered the words, but nothing happened.

His eyes scanned the room tentatively. Bad move. Over half of the class had lifted the brass balls. Crap, crap. Panic rested on his brows. They were going to find out that he didn't belong there. What was going to happen to him if he couldn't perform magic? He was going to disappear or just wander the school forever, for sure. He wouldn't be able to make it back home.

Heat burned the back of his neck. He had to calm down. He wasn't going to get anywhere like this.

He tried again. The ball trembled for a split moment before it finally lifted in the air. A huge smile broke out on his face and relief washed over him like a wave. He moved his hand, watching the ball move. He was lucky that he managed to lift the brass ball, because everyone turned to those who were struggling with cocky smirks.

"Can't lift the ball, bergles? Go back home! You don't belong here!" the arrogant student from before sneered. Ponyboy felt bad for the students that hung their heads in shame because he would have been in the same situation if he wasn't lucky enough to finish on time.

The class soon ended, leaving Ponyboy exhausted. He didn't know just one beginner-leveled spell could be so tiring. He wanted to just go back to his room and sleep. Blood dripped from his nose and he quickly covered it with his hand until it stopped, blinking his eyes heavily.

At lunch, Ponyboy sat at the same table as the gang like yesterday. Two-Bit flashed in the seat, startling Ponyboy who let out a surprised yelp that was drowned out by the booming cafeteria.

"Hey, Ho—" Two-Bit started.

"I swear, if you call me Horseboy one more time…" Ponyboy warned with a small curve of his lips.

"I'm just kidding."

Soon, the others arrived. Ponyboy wondered why Dally and Johnny weren't there. Were they not friends in this universe? Just as he thought that, two figures, clad in dark clothing, caught his eyes. Ponyboy turned to see Dally and Johnny sitting in the corner, no students sitting at the same table. He frowned, catching the attention of Soda who turned to see what he was looking at.

"Oh, you don't want to interact with them," Soda warned, face serious.

"Why?" Ponyboy asked.

"They can't be trusted. Bad reputation. They get in a lot of trouble."

"I heard that they almost got expelled on multiple accounts," Darry brought up. "Don't get involved or they will drag you down the rabbit hole with them."

"What did Johnny and Dally do?" Ponyboy asked.

"You know their names?" Soda asked.

"Psychic, I told you!" Two-Bit yelled.

"Anyways, Dally is known for using illegal spells. He gets into fights a lot and hospitalized a lot of students who pissed him off. He also stole from students and teachers. He vandalized the school and probably did a bunch of other crap. He's unpredictable," Steve answered. "Johnny, on the other hand… Well, I don't know much about him. He's really quiet and mysterious, but he always hangs around with Dally. He comes to school sometimes in bruises. He probably gets in a lot of fights."

After lunch, Ponyboy was walking around, so lost in his thoughts that he didn't see that someone had rounded around the corner until they collided. "Oh, sorry, I wasn't paying attention," Ponyboy apologized, before registering who he had ran into: Johnny.

"That's fine," Johnny answered before trying to scurry away.

For some reason, it felt like if he let Johnny go now, he wouldn't talk to him ever again. "Hey, Johnny, hold on!" Johnny turned around with confusion blown in his dark eyes. His body stiffened, obviously not used to talking to people. "Can we talk?"

Reluctantly, Johnny agreed. They made their way to the library. Well, Ponyboy followed Johnny there, to his embarrassment. The library was heaven. It was a maze of books, going up a few stories (although he didn't see how people could get there because there were no ladders or stairs). The old, wooden tables were filled with studying students, so Johnny and Ponyboy found a nook to sit in to not disturb them.

"What do you want to talk about?" Johnny asked in a hushed tone.

Ponyboy blinked. He didn't think about it this far. What was he supposed to say? Ponyboy fumbled with his words before finally stammering out, "My name's Ponyboy, by the way."

Johnny nodded, and Ponyboy was thankful that he didn't make fun of his name. "You also knew my name."

"Yeah… I heard some rumors about you… I also was told not to approach you."

The other boy stiffened, expression darkening. "Then why are you talking to me?"

"I don't want to assume the rumors are correct. I want to get to know you."

Johnny was obviously unsure of how he should respond. It wasn't every day that someone wanted to be friends with him. "Why would you want to do that?"

"I just think we can get along really well."

Johnny looked at him skeptically, and Ponyboy chewed his lips, head snapping around when someone pulled a book from the shelf. When Ponyboy turned back around, Johnny was gone. He heard a small "meow" from a black cat that stared at him for a second before scampering away.


	5. Chapter 5

It was useless. He couldn't find a book about different dimensions or how to get back home anywhere. He had examined the index pages on just about every book in the first level of the library (it was easy, thanks to the levitation spell he learned recently). He had to check the other levels but didn't know how to do so.

Ponyboy left the library with slumped shoulders. ' _Is that Ponyboy?'_ he heard, echoing through his brain.

"Hey, Soda," Ponyboy greeted without turning around. When he finally did, Soda looked back at him with an incredulous look.

"How did you know it was me? I didn't say anything. Do I smell that much?" Soda did a sniff check before realization washed over his face. "Oh, right, psychic." The two boys started walking down the hallway together.

"Hey," Soda continued, "type testing is coming up soon."

Ponyboy almost dropped his stuff. "Already?"

"Don't worry, you'll be fine. It'll come almost naturally."

"I hope so…"

"What were you doing in the library? Whenever I see you, you always have your nose stuck up in books. How can you do that? It's so boring."

"I like reading. It's another reality to be trapped in. But, right now, I'm trying to figure something out, but I can't find the information that I need. Do you know how to get on the other levels of the library?"

"I don't know. I've never tried going to the upper levels. I haven't been in the library at all actually. But, to get to the other floors, you have to be in a higher grade."

Ponyboy deflated. "Really?"

"Sorry. You only learn certain spells in the first year, and, in the second year, you learn more. It restricts students in performing spells that they can't handle. One of the spells that you will learn in the beginning of each year is about how to get to each floor. There is a floor for each year."

"O-Oh."

Soda sensed that something was wrong with Ponyboy and patted his back comfortingly. "I'm sure you can trick the system if you study hard enough, but it'll be risky. The spells might require more energy than what you have. I don't want to see you get hurt or killed."

 **o-o-o**

The next day, instead of going to class, the first-year students lined up in front of a door. People were walking in and out of the classroom quickly, making his turn come up way faster than what Ponyboy had hoped. Ponyboy's stomach was turning. What if they find out he didn't belong in the school? What would happen to him? Man, he wished that he hadn't had a snack before this. He felt like he was going to be sick.

Ponyboy was so lost in his fear and nervousness that he didn't notice that he was in front of the line until the door opened and someone called out, "Next." Ponyboy nearly died then and there. He entered the classroom, legs feeling like jelly, and walked to the front of the room where a woman was waiting. She smiled kindly. "Are you ready to find out what type you are?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," Ponyboy answered, swallowing thickly.

"Don't be nervous. A lot of what I will test you on won't work on you. Only one." She gestured to the items on the table. She lifted a pot of dirt and handed it to Ponyboy. "I want you to focus your energy on each item given to you."

Nodding, Ponyboy stared intently at the pot in his hands. He placed his energy in it, but, alas, nothing happened. The pot was snatched away from him, and a bowel of water was placed again. More items were placed in his hand, but nothing happened each time. With each item, Ponyboy grew more worried. Soon, all the items were used, and the woman frowned. The room was spinning and Ponyboy felt like the world was crumbling around him. He shoved his clammy hands in his pockets.

"So… did I fail the test?" he asked, licking his chapped lips.

"You can't fail the test. There is a small number of people who aren't placed and are just labeled as 'unknown', or you can be one of the non-physical forms. Let's try for that first before making a final decision. I'm going to have you lay down on the floor."

"Why?" Ponyboy asked, lying on the floor.

"There's one more test that I would like you to go through. For a non-physical power, I will have to use your mind."

"What are you going to do to me?" Ponyboy was right to be cautious. Like hell was someone going to invade his mind and see he didn't belong in the school or his precious memories.

"You're just going to be put in a simulation. Don't worry. I won't actually enter your brain. I'm not a psychic. She whispered words under his breath, doing some complex hand movements that Ponyboy would never remember and placed them on his temple. Instantly, his body shuddered, eyes growing wide, until he blacked out.

 **o-o-o**

When Ponyboy woke up, he was sitting on an uncomfortable bed and baring a splitting headache. What happened? He was just taking the test. He racked his brain, but everything was hazy after the woman snatched the last item from his hands. Did he fail?

The door creaked open and Soda walked in with a small smile. "Hey, how are you doing?"

"My head hurts. What happened?" Ponyboy asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Why am I here? What happened after I took the test?"

"What test?" Soda was looking worried and curiously at him and Ponyboy didn't understand why.

"You know, the test to find out what type you are?"

"Ponyboy, you didn't take a test."

"What are you talking about? I just took a test. Why am I here? Where am I?"

"You're in a hospital, remember? The social workers came by and decided you needed to be sent here because they thought you were crazy."

"Crazy? I'm not crazy… You don't think I'm crazy, right?"

Soda hesitated and Ponyboy felt his eyes water up. His heart was thumping hard in his chest and he felt like he was about to be pushed off the edge of a cliff. "Pony… you've said and done things that were…"

"What did I do?"

"What do you remember?"

"I was taking a test—"

"Before that, I mean."

"I applied to a school."

"Which school?"

"Soda, you know what school. You're scaring me."

"I'm sorry. Just answer me, please."

"It's Clonora."

If it was possible, Soda looked even more worried. He called out, "Hey, he's thinking about it again!"

The door flung open and a few doctors rushed in with a cart. "What?" Ponybou stuttered, backing to the edge of the bed.

"I'm sorry, Pony… but it's for the best."

"Soda!" Ponyboy screamed and kicked as they grabbed him and stabbed him with a syringe. "Stop! Please…"

He could feel himself getting sleepy. And Ponyboy tried to pry open his eyes or move but he was weak. Slowly he drifted to dreamland.

When he awoke, no one was by his bedside. He was taken into room where a man was sitting behind a desk with a clipboard. "Hello, Ponyboy," he greeted. "I have been informed that you started hallucinating again."

"I wasn't hallucinating."

"But you were. You don't go to a magical school and you can't perform magic."

"Yes, I can! Watch!" Ponyboy lifted his hands and tried to perform a levitation spell, but nothing happened. "What?" Why wasn't it working? He could perform the spell perfectly before.

The man pushed his hands down gently. "You can't, Ponyboy. It was all in your head."

"No! I have been in the school for a while now."

"No, Ponyboy, you've been here for a while. We go over this every day. You always forget reality."

"That can't be true…" Ponyboy was starting to give in to the new ideas and believe that everything was just a hallucination. Magic? A school filled with people he knew but didn't actually know? That's ridiculous. How could it be true? But… why didn't he remember anything?

"But it is. I'm going to restart you on your medication. It seems like you are getting worse, unfortunately."

A bottle was placed in front of him and Ponyboy stared at it for a long time before taking it. He just wanted to be left alone right now and gather his thoughts.

Ponyboy tried to enter his room again but the door was locked, so, instead, he entered the common room where a lot of patients were silently meandering around. Ponyboy plopped himself down by the window and tossed the medication back and forth, because the sloshing of the pills was a far better sound than the long, consecutive ringing.

This didn't feel right. None of this felt right. Everything was just... off…

 _But what if it is my imagination?_ Ponyboy asked himself, chewing on his lips until he drew blood. _Magic seemed like a dream._ Crap, he was crazy, wasn't he?

The pills were suddenly snatched while he was throwing it in the air. "Hey!" he hissed, glaring at the person who stole the bottle, but was surprised at Johnny flipping the bottle in his hands. "Johnny!"

"What are you doing here?" Johnny asked.

"What do you mean? What are you doing here?"

"You forgot? You're not supposed to be here."

Ponyboy furrowed his eyebrows. "I don't get what you're saying, Johnny."

"Aren't you supposed to be in school?"


	6. Chapter 6

Ponyboy's attention snapped to Johnny. His eyes widened to the size of saucers. "School? You know about the school?"

The doors slammed open and doctors rushed inside, seizing Johnny instantly before he could utter more words.

"No, wait! Let go of him!" Ponyboy screamed, trying to grab the other boy, but he was ripped away out of the room. "Johnny, tell me what you meant!"

The door slammed shut, and Ponyboy rushed after him, desiring answers. However, his foot slipped from under him and he fell forward, crashing to the ground. He peeked at his ankle to see what he slipped on and found that his ankle was planted on the medicine bottle. He and picked it up, standing back on his feet with a small grimace of pain.

What was he supposed to do now? It couldn't have been a coincidence that Johnny knew about the school. Nothing was happening around him anymore. The room was clouded in the thick fog of silence. He guessed it was time to take the pills that were distributed to him. Ponyboy popped open the bottle and spilled out some of the pills in his palms. He wasn't sure how many he was supposed to take at a time, as it wasn't expressed on the bottle, but one pill is usually enough.

" _Don't take a pill,"_ a voice stopped him. Ponyboy glanced around but no one else was inside the room. He shook his head, concluding that he was just hearing things, and lifted the pills to his chapped lips, but was stopped again. _"You'll fail if you take the pill. Wake up."_

The boy watched as the pills slipped through his fingers and spilled to the ground in a scattered mess. This wasn't right. He didn't belong here. Before this, he was somewhere else. He was… Ponyboy racked his brain. The last place he was located at was in the testing room… then he laid down… and then… he felt hands on his temples before this nightmare occurred.

This was a test. They were checking to see if he was a psychic type or not. This wasn't real. Ponyboy sighed in relief. Thank goodness everything was real. He didn't think he could live one day in this ordeal. He needed to escape this illusion.

Ponyboy raised his hands, moving them in a few swift movements. He muttered soft, breathy words, feeling energy travel through his body. The air buzzed around him, goosebumps rising on his arms. He was so preoccupied that he didn't notice the doors slamming open again and a few doctors rushing in to stop him until they were grabbing his arm right. By then it was too late. He had finished the spell. A force blasted the doctors away, bashing them unconscious against the wall. Windows and lights shattered, swirling around him like a tornado. The wind was screaming around him and cracks fissured through the room like it was made of glass itself.

"Let me out…" he whispered before the room fell apart around him until he was consumed by a blinding light.

Ponyboy bolted upwards, sweat pooling down his face. His eyes scanned the testing room, relieved that everything back to normal—or at least as close as it will be for a while.

"Whoa there!" the test giver exclaimed, laughing. "You made it back. Congratulations. You're a psychic type."

It wasn't really a surprise, but Ponyboy couldn't help but look at her with a bewildered expression. He was still a bit out of it. "What?"

"You were hardly in the test when you snapped back into consciousness. Most people wouldn't break out of the illusion. You also heard my voice telling you to not take the pill."

"How long was I out?"

"A minute, give or take. You should go back to your room. You look terrible."

Nodding, the boy left the room, heading to his dorm.

"Pony, wait up!" someone called out. He stopped his pursuit and turn around.

"Hey, Soda," he greeted.

"How was your test?"

"They said that I was a psychic type."

"Knew it. So, why are you going back to your room? It's the middle of the day."

"The psychic type test was rough. It took a lot out of me. I was planning on resting a bit, but I'm fine without a nap, honestly."

"Oh, so if you have nothing to do, Keith wants to do this fortune telling thing. It'll be fun. Want to join us?"

"Sure. That sounds fun."

Smiling, Soda dragged Ponyboy to an empty classroom. "I brought Ponyboy," Soda announced to the circle of guys and joined them. Ponyboy sat down as well.

"Good! The more the merrier," Keith said.

"How does this even work?" Ponyboy asked, not wanting to be the one to mess up the entire procedure.

"Don't worry, I got the entire thing copied for us."

"You mean, _I_ copied the spell," Steve corrected, rolling his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah. You." Keith waved his hands to disregard the other boy.

"You just copied it? Do you know how dangerous that it? We shouldn't even be here right now," Darry argued. "What if a teacher catches us?"

"Relax, it'll be fine. Don't get your panties in a twist."

"Not everything you find in the library is reliable."

"Library? Never been in the library before."

"It was in a class we share," Steve said. "If we perform it correctly, we should be fine. We shouldn't have a problem because we have a lot of magical energy between all of us."

Ponyboy peeked at the paper and read it through as Steve drew symbols on the ground with chalk. He made sure to memorize the hand gestures that were messily scribbled on the sheet.

"Ready?" Darry asked with uncertainty.

Nodding, Ponyboy placed down the paper, and the group all raised their hands to start the spell. Ponyboy fumbled as he recited the words. His handwork was sloppy, but he somehow got through it. The air around them was like static as power surged through him. He could feel the magic of everyone in the room, combining with his. It was almost addictive.

The classroom faded and Ponyboy took a glance from the sheet that was in front of him towards the others but they were nowhere in sight. There wasn't even a sign of the spell being performed. He knew that he was in the future though. He could tell from the moderate changes in the room layout.

Slowly, Ponyboy stood up to examine the classroom, but there was nothing out of the ordinary. Deciding to check outside the room, he opened the classroom door, eyes widening at the sight before him. Bodies were strewn across the corridors. Blood was smeared on the wall, pooling around each individual body like an aura. Most of the bodies were torn apart, entrails spilling out of them. Other bodies had their throat sliced open or their eyes gouged out. The deaths were fresh as the scent of rotting flesh wasn't filtering the air yet.

Ponyboy had to bite his lips and clutch his stomach to avoid vomiting. Diligently, he maneuvered himself through the bodies, scrutinizing every face to see if he could recognize anyone. He had to find the gang. He just hoped that none of these bodies were them.

What happened? Or, to be more accurate, what will happen? This was his future, and it didn't look so hot.

A hand grabbed his ankle. Ponyboy jumped, snapping his head towards the body that was sprawled on the ground and ripped his leg away. When he recognized the person who was beneath him, he felt his heart stop, face paling to rival that of a ghost.

"Pony, you have to run," Soda wheezed, face bloody and contorted to be almost unrecognizable.

"Soda?" Ponyboy uttered weakly, falling to his knees in a crimson puddle to grab his brother's outstretched hand. "What happened? Are you okay?" What was he saying? Of course, he wasn't okay. Ponyboy winced when Soda coughed up blood. He felt tears build up in his eyes as he stared at the other boy's pitiful state, body trembling. He had to remind himself that they were only seeing the future and that Soda was going to be fine when the vision ends.

"It was a mistake! We should have never tried seeing into the future."

"What? Why? What's happening?"

But before Soda answered, his bodied twitched violently, blood spewing from every opening on his face.

"Soda!" Ponyboy screamed, trying to project his voice over Sodas wails.

"Run! It's coming!" Soda sputtered, before going silent, body going limp.

The lights flickered above him and the room dropped to a freezing temperature. Ponyboy, with tears blurring his vision, flicked his attention down the hallway from the classroom he was just in and saw the blackness of a shadow rushing towards him. He got to his feet, faster than what he thought he could, and sprinted, slipping on the blood and tripping over the bodies that he passed. He didn't have time to wallow in Soda's tragic ending. He had to get out of there.

"Help! Someone, help me!" he screamed, although he knew it was useless. Everyone was dead.

The shadow was catching up with him. It wouldn't be too much longer until he was completely consumed by the shadow.

All of a sudden, Steve and Darry whipped around the corner. Ponyboy crashed into them, sending him rolling on the ground. He quickly recovered and got to his feet. The shadow was so close now.

"Get up! We have to run! It's coming," he whimpered, dragging the two to their feet.

"What's coming?" Steve asked and turned around. "What the fuck is that?"

"It killed Soda. It killed everyone. We have to go!"

"We checked the entire school. There isn't anywhere to run. We have to fight whatever that is."

"With what? We don't know any combat or protection spells," Darry argued.

"Well, we have to try something." Steve held up his hands and the walls began caving in, metal shooting out of the wallpaper to create a blockade between the shadow and them. However, the wall didn't last. The shadow shot through the cracks, crushing the wall and came after them at a faster speed.

"Guys, this place is fucked up," Keith informed, popping up out of nowhere, finally seeing the shadow. "What's that?"

"No time to explain. Take Ponyboy and teleport somewhere safe. Find a way out of this vision," Darry said. "Steve and I will slow it down some."

"What? No, I'm not leaving any of you!" Ponyboy cried out, shaking his head.

"Got it!" Keith agreed nervously, grabbing Ponyboy's wrist. Ponyboy didn't struggle. He knew that he couldn't argue with them.

" _Don't go,"_ a raspy voice growled. Ponyboy snapped his head back towards the two boys.

"Did any of you say anything?" he asked.

Darry and Steve glanced back. "What are you talking about? Just go!" Steve snapped, building another metal wall between them and the shadow.

" _I only want to talk to you…"_ the voice came again. Ponyboy looked at the shadow for a second before Keith whipped them away.

When Ponyboy's vision returned, he and Keith were in a condensed, dark room, their bodies too close for comfort. Ponyboy looked at him with questioning eyes, which was made possible with the thin sliver of light that shone through a crack. "You need to go back and get Darry and Steve," Ponyboy hissed.

"I'm going," Keith agreed. "I can only carry one person at a time."

" _Come out, come out, wherever you are,"_ the voice came again. It was too late. Darry and Steve were already dead.

"Crap, you can't go out—" Ponyboy stopped when he looked at Keith's twitching face. Blood dripped from his nose, his eyes bloodshot. Keith's knees buckled and he fell to the ground, coughing violently; gasping for air. His hands shot to his neck, face turning red. Ponyboy didn't know what to do. His first instinct was to hold Two-Bit, but he knew that wouldn't do any good.

" _You can't hide from me."_ The closet door flung open and ghostly hands grabbed him and pulled him out. If Ponyboy's eyes could have gone wider, they did. Standing before him was a shadowy mass of a man. The ground was frosted over where it stood, the room impossibly cold.

Ponyboy waited for the inevitable. The shadow was sure to kill him like he did everyone else. But nothing happened. Instead, the shadow reached its hand out as if asking for a handshake.

" _I won't hurt you. Take my hand and everything will end. This future won't happen."_

Now, Ponyboy wasn't the person to trust shadowy masses that murdered his friends, but Ponyboy was downright terrified. He didn't like this future—not one bit. He didn't want it to end like this.

" _Your friends won't be dead if you take my hand."_ The raspy voice flooded Ponyboy's head. He was starting to believe the shadow. Right now, he was desperate for things to get better. _"I know that you don't belong here. I can help you get back. I can help you get stronger—stronger than anyone in the school. You won't have to hide or feel ashamed anymore."_

Ponyboy bit his lips. He could feel himself giving into the shadow. What it offered was everything Ponyboy was looking for. It was nice, maybe even too nice to be true. But one more sentence had him falling into the shadow's ghastly hands. _"You won't ever see the gang again if you don't take my hand."_

Nervously, Ponyboy lifted his hand as if pulled by an invisible force. Before he realized exactly what he was about to do, his fingers brushed against the shadow's palm. The shadow quickly snatched his hands, shocking him. Fire engulfed his hands and the feeling of a thousand needs piercing his skin caused him to scream. Smoke lifted into the air, along with the belching scent of burning flesh. The pain was so surreal that he understood what the others felt. They should have never tried to see the future.


	7. Chapter 7

Ponyboy shot up from the ground, sharply inhaling a deep breath. His body was drenched in sweat, a cold shiver running over him. His stomach spun as if he was about to give a speech to his entire class. One of his hands were burning. It was the hand he used to shake with the shadow man. Ponyboy was scared to inspect it. Around him, the other's also shot up from the floor, sweating bullets. Soda reached over, grabbed a trashcan and vomited, body shaking.

"Fuck," Steve hissed. "What kind of messed up future did we see?"

"We died," Darry murmured, hands clenching into balls. "How did we get back? What happened?"

No one could answer. They just assumed that they all died, stopping the spell. Except for Ponyboy, who stayed quiet for the duration of time. No one thought weirdly of his silence.

"It felt so real," Soda whimpered. "I almost forgot it was a vision."

"Hey, Ponyboy, you okay?" Keith suddenly asked. Ponyboy's eyes lifted from the ground, now noticing that the group had stopped talking and were staring at him with concern in their disturbed eyes.

"You're freezing," Soda commented, putting a clammy hand on his forehead. "Like ice-cold."

"I'm fine," Ponyboy replied, shivering. It was cold like he had stepped into the artic without any clothes on. "Just a bit shook, that's all."

They looked at him doubtfully, but they moved on. "We can't let that future happen. We have to find a way to stop it."

"We'll die if we try anything," Darry reasoned.

"We'll die if we do nothing."

"Where would we even start?" Steve asked.

"We first need to find out what that shadow was," Darry answered. "It's getting late. Head back to your room before curfew."

When they left the classroom, Ponyboy turned over his hand, revealing an intricate symbol scalded into his palm.

' _All the answers you need will come soon,'_ a raspy voice echoed in his head.

 **o-o-o**

The next morning, Ponyboy wrapped his hand that was covered in graffiti in gauze. He walked to class, blocking the images of the bloody bodies scattered across the floor from his mind. Pony sat down at his desk in his first class, the session soon following afterward.

Pots were placed in front of each student, filled to the brim with moist soil.

"I think all of you can guess what you'll be learning about today. What plant you grow in your pot is up to your imagination. Since it's important to learn how to perform spells without step-to-step instructions, I drew the symbol of the spell on the board. Figure it out before the end of the period. You may begin," the teacher instructed.

Ponyboy scrutinized the series of circles, unknown shapes, and gibberish. Some students around him had already started working on performing the spell, but most students, to Ponyboy's relief, were stumped.

' _Follow the smaller shapes with your hands and read the words that are printed,'_ Ponyboy heard the raspy voice whisper in his head.

Ponyboy followed the instructions. He raised his hands, slowly following the shapes while muttering the mantra. Before his eyes, a stem started to reach through the soil, growing quickly. The pot broke as roots spread across his desk. The stem grew thicker, bark spreading out of its sides. On the newly-formed trunk, thorny branches spread out, engulfed in thick leaves and small, white flowers.

The whole class was speechless, staring at him and the tree with their eyes blown wide in bafflement. The teacher's expression was by far the best. His mouth was hanging wide. So wide that Ponyboy was scared he was going to catch some flies.

"How did you manage to summon a tree?" he finally asked.

"Was I not supposed to do that?" Ponyboy said, swallowing thickly.

"You were. It's just a very difficult task to summon a tree, especially if you haven't done the spell before. I'm impressed. Good job."

Ponyboy gave him a tight smile as he ignored the incredulous stares from his classmates. He would have been proud and smiling widely if he wasn't so confused.

He walked out the classroom after the bell rang, instantly going to a hallway where no one was.

He wasn't alone though. Someone was there with him. In his head. "Who are you?" he asked with a shaky voice.

" _I think you know who I am, Ponyboy_ ,' the voice answered. _'It's rude that you would forget. You did meet me yesterday, after all."_

"You're… You're the shadow. How did you...? When did you…?"

" _You let me free. You were everything I needed."_

"What are you going to do to me?"

" _Hopefully, nothing if you follow my instructions accordingly. Ask again."_

"What are you going to do?"

" _I'm going to kill everyone."_

Ponyboy's heart dropped. There was a lump in his throat that he couldn't swallow. He clenched his clammy hands tightly, digging crescents in his palms. "You said you weren't going to kill anyone."

" _You should know to never trust a shadow."_

A hand grabbed his shoulder and turned him around. Soda stared at him with a worried expression. "Ponyboy, are you okay? You've been talking to yourself."

" _You can't tell anyone. Tell them and I'll make sure that you kill them with your own hands."_

"I'm fine. I'm just not feeling well," Ponyboy answered, grabbing his hands so that it wouldn't be obviously shaking.

"You look really sick. Do you want me to try to heal you?" Soda asked. Another voice came through right after. It sounded like Soda's voice, but he didn't even move his lips. _'I hope he's alright. I don't know if my healing magic can help him.'_

"No. It's alright. I just need to take a walk."

Soda looked at him doubtfully. "If you say so… If you need anything, don't be afraid to ask."

"Thanks, Soda." Ponyboy gave him a soft smile and turned around to walk away.

" _Find out about the mark on your hand,"_ the raspy voice said again.

"Why don't you tell me what it means? You obviously know what it means."

" _But what's the fun in that?"_

Before Ponyboy knew it, he was standing outside the library. He pushed open the big doors and entered the quiet space. Ponyboy racked the shelves, but he didn't know what to look for. Where would he begin?

Ponyboy was so invested in looking for a book that would pop out to him that he didn't notice the person in front of him until his body crashed into something hard. "I'm sorry. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going," he apologized, looking away from the bookshelves. "Oh, hey, Johnny."

"Hi...Ponyboy, right?" the other boy greeted shyly.

"Yeah. What are you doing here?"

Johnny looked at him curiously. "Getting a book to study for a test. What are you doing here?"

"Just trying to figure something out."

"Figure what out?"

Ponyboy froze. "I had a dream… I saw something and I wanted to know what it meant."

"Sure…"Johnny's curiosity turned into wariness.

"I tested out as a psychic."

"What did you see in your dream?"

"A symbol."

"You have to be clearer than that."

"I don't know. I'm hoping I'll recognize it when I see it." He couldn't possibly just show Johnny his hand. That would be too suspicious. But maybe he can inform Johnny about what is happening to him conspicuously. "Can you help me? It'll be a lot faster if more people are looking."

"Sorry, I can't. I have to go." Johnny started to walk backward away from Ponyboy _. 'I can't associate with him.'_

"You don't want to associate with me?"

"What? I didn't…"

"I can read your mind, Johnny. Why don't you want to hang out with me?"

Johnny bit his lip but finally gave in. "You don't want to be seen with me. I'm 'trouble'."

"Yeah? So am I. I don't really care what people think about me. I want to be friends with you. You shouldn't push people away."

"You want to be friends with me?"

"Of course. You remind me of someone I know. He was a pretty decent guy. So, please help me. I don't really want to be alone."

Sighing, Johnny finally resented. "Fine."

The two looked through the bookshelves (Johnny even looked at the second and third-year shelves) but they couldn't find anything. Johnny walked down the stairs back to Ponyboy with a frown. "Whatever you're trying to find, isn't in the library. If it is, it's on the shelves for the higher years."

" _Check out the forbidden shelves,"_ the raspy voice in his head said.

"What about the forbidden shelves?" he asked, watching Johnny's face pale.

"We can't go there. I don't know where a first year had even heard about the forbidden shelves, but we can't. Like the name said, it's forbidden. Students can't go there."

"Why not?"

"It has a lock that's really hard to break, and if it does, the school would know and find out who broke it. Plus, if they find out that we went inside, we would get expelled. Getting expelled isn't something you would want to do."

"Can I see the lock?"

"You're seriously going to try to break in, aren't you?"

"I don't really have a choice." He let it slip. He shouldn't have. He was risking so much.

"Ponyboy, what's going on?" The tone of Johnny's voice turned from concerned to serious.

"So much is going on… I'm wrapped-up in all of it."

The two made it to the door. The forbidden shelves were in a separate room. The door was made of iron. Ponyboy now understood why they couldn't get in. Magic, as he had learned, didn't work on iron. It was the only element that was immune.

"Well, this is great," he whispered, waiting for the voice to come back and help him through the door. The voice was silent.

Johnny fiddled with his hands. "You're really adamant about what's going on, huh?"

"Yeah."

"If I help you get in, promise me you will do whatever it takes to make sure that no one would get in trouble and you would tell me everything eventually?"

"What are you thinking, Johnny?"

"You can read minds." Johnny readjusted his bag and walked away, but not before his voice popped into his head. _'Dally.'_

Ponyboy stalked him outside the library and to a hallway that was dimly lit by flickering candles. Not many students were there and it was quiet, setting an ominous atmosphere. Johnny led him to a dead-end, making Ponyboy look at him funnily. "What are we doing here?"

"I can trust you, right?" Johnny stared straight into his eyes with hope and determination, but they were also filled with weariness and fear.

"Of course."

"Alright. Don't tell anyone about this. I'm really trusting you on this."

"You can trust me. You won't regret it."

Johnny gave Ponyboy one more scrutinizing look. He pulled a sleeping fairy out of his pocket. "Hey, Puck, go inside now. I'm shifting." The fairy woke up and sheepishly nodded, disappearing into a hole in the wall. Johnny's body began to glow. He shrunk down into a small ball on the floor. When the light subsided, standing where Johnny used to be was a hamster. His beady eyes stared into Ponyboy's eyes as if waiting for him to join him.

"Johnny?" Ponyboy asked, bending down. The hamster squeaked, motioning to a small hole in the wall. "You want me to go in there? Johnny, I can't shapeshift."

Maybe he was imagining it, but if a hamster could roll its eyes, Johnny just did. He entered the hole, leaving Ponyboy alone in the hallway. What should he do?

' _Body large or body small, shift my body into which I need to call,'_ the shadow's voice chanted.

Ponyboy repeated the words, subconsciously moving his hands like he had performed the spell a hundred times before. At first, nothing happened, and he was about to try again before pain erupted in his body. He gasped in pain, unable to produce a sound. Bones were breaking as the image of a hamster appeared on his face. His body glowed as he shrunk down, hair growing longer. When the light dispersed, he was no longer a human. Suddenly he could smell things far greater than he did before.

He squeaked as he ran into the hole to Johnny who was waiting for him. They scurried through the labyrinth in the dark until they finally entered another room. Johnny shifted back to human and looked down at Ponyboy.

More pain erupted in his body as he shifted back into a human. He gasped as the glowing subsided, touching his body all over. "Holy shit…" he murmured. "That was… indescribable."

"Yeah, you get used to it. You managed to perform the spell first try. Where did you learn how to do that?"

"I read it somewhere." Ponyboy hoped Johnny wouldn't catch the lie.

"Oh." Johnny nodded and turned to a door. "Dally, you in there?"

Dally walked out of the room, crossing his arms. There was a brown bird perched on his shoulder. "Hey, Johnny." His eyes turned to Ponyboy. "Who's the kid?"

"Oh, I'm Ponyboy," Ponyboy introduced.

"Dally, we need your help," Johnny said. "We need to get into the forbidden section of the library."

Dally raised his eyebrow. "Johnny, you know that's risky. Why are you doing this? Is _he_ making you do this?" Dally gestured to Ponyboy with a glare.

"No! I am not using Johnny. He wanted to help me," Ponyboy answered, waving his hand to dismiss the idea.

"And you trust him?" This question was directed to Johnny.

"We'll see," Johnny answered.

"What exactly are you looking for?" Again, attention was turned to Ponyboy.

"I saw a symbol in a vision I had. I'm a psychic type, you see. I'm trying to find out what it meant. It seemed really important," Ponyboy replied.

"So you plan to break into the forbidden room for a vision?"

"Yes… So, will you help me?" Ponyboy bit his lips, worrying that this version of Dally would decline.

"Sure. It sounds like a lot more fun than waiting around this boring-ass school. We'll go tonight when everyone is asleep and the monitors are done checking each room."


	8. Chapter 8

That night, Ponyboy was feeling nervous. He laid in his bed in the dark, fiddling with his fingers as he watched shadows pass by the door. It wasn't like he hadn't snuck out before. Ponyboy actually snuck out a lot. It was just that the school was a lot more guarded than his house.

When the coast was clear, he carefully opened the creaky doors. Ponyboy warily snuck down the corridors, glancing down each hallway. It seemed like no one was roaming the hallways. He quickly arrived at the library where Johnny and Dally were already waiting. Dally eyes pierced through his soul as he approached.

"About time," he sneered. "Did anyone catch you?"

"No, I don't think so. I didn't see anyone on the way here," Ponyboy answered.

"Okay, good. Let's make this quick. Get in, get information, and get out. You dig?"

"Yeah, I dig."

They made it to the forbidden section's door. Dally pushed both Ponyboy and Johnny back and he raised his hands. The air around them turned electric and Ponyboy could make out a transparent sphere levitating between his hands. Dally shot his hands forward and an invisible force blew the door off of its hinges, making it crash to the wall.

Ponyboy could only stare at the doorway in shock as he blew dust away. "Whoa…"

"You can't tell anyone that Dally used combat magic," Johnny warned.

"Combat magic? That's what that is? I heard that it's not allowed." Honestly, what else did he expect from Dally? Sparkle magic? That would be hilarious. Ponyboy almost snorted at the thought.

"Neither is entering the forbidden library."

Ponyboy shrugged and gave a nervous smile. "That's true."

They entered the forbidden library (which wasn't too big). There was only one bookshelf filled with old books that looked like there would fall apart at the slightest touch.

"We don't have much time. Let's find that symbol," Dally instructed. They hastily leafed through the books. Time was of the essence. Unfortunately, they found no symbol that matched the one etched in Ponyboy's hand.

Dally growled. "You mean we looked for nothing?"

"The sound came from the library!" someone yelled suddenly, snapping their attention away from the heated argument that Dally was about to start.

"Son of a bitch!" Dally grabbed the shelf and threw it to the ground. However, this only pinpointed their exact location as the crash sounded like a bomb went off. Ponyboy nervously scrutinized the room, looking for something, anything, that would get them out of this mess. As he was looking, his eyes caught something on the wall, causing him to gasp.

"That's the sign…" he murmured, pointing to a symbol that was etched in the wall. He unwrapped his hand and showed the two guys that were next to him.

They could hear the footsteps pounding on the floor in the library getting louder. Swiftly, Ponyboy placed his palm on the symbol and quickly removed it when the sign started to glow.

"We need to go!" Dally yelled as soon as the wall opened, revealing another room. Without a second thought, they ran in the room, the door closing behind them.

The new room was dark, lit by torches on the walls. They looked around, but soon stopped when their eyes landed in the center of the floor. Johnny squeaked, and Ponyboy yelped as he covered his mouth once they registered what was in the center of the room. A circle with symbols that Ponyboy couldn't comprehend was drawn around a lifeless body.

"Holy shit, a dead body," Dally remarked, approaching it. He crouched down to examine it closer.

"What are you doing, man?" Johnny asked.

"Just checking something…" All of a sudden, Dally poked the body.

"Gross…" Ponyboy muttered.

"It's not real. It's a doll. It's super realistic. The skin feels fake."

"You're crazy for actually touching it."

"What's it doing here?" Johnny asked.

"Some sort of occult, probably," Dally answered.

Ponyboy rolled his eyes at the irony. "But why did my dream lead me here?"

"Who knows, man?" Dally patted down the body before pulling up the shirt. "There's a secret compartment." He pulled up the lid of the department in the chest up and the room flooded in a deep scarlet color. Ponyboy found himself moving closer. There was a gemstone levitating itself inside the doll's chest. It pulsated with power that was almost overwhelming. Something inside Ponyboy stirred, making his chest tighten.

"What is that?" Ponyboy asked, bewildered.

"I've never seen anything like it…" Johnny whispered just as flabbergasted as his new friend.

Curiously, Dally tapped the gem and Ponyboy mentally congratulated him for being brave enough to do so. But then the power that surrounded the gem subsided, causing the boys to look even closer than they were already, before it exploded outwards. The force flung them off the ground, crashing them into the walls that were enclosing them. Fortunately, they recovered quickly.

Ponyboy sat upwards, groaning. His eyes fell upon the doll again, watching its fingers twitch.

The doll sat up, joints creaking and clicking as it moved. Its lifeless eyes fluttered open and it craned its neck to watch everyone.

"Shit!" Dally got up, lifting Johnny behind him.

Johnny cowered behind Dally and whimpered, "We need to go…"

"We can easily destroy it," Dally countered, raising his hands, but Johnny shook his head.

"No, we should just go. We did enough damage today."

The two stared at each other before Dally finally (although reluctantly) nodded. There was no more questions before the three bolted to the other door. They slammed the door shut behind them as they swerved through the dark hallways until they found a trap door. Dally pushed it open and climbed out, helping the other two out.

"Where are we?" Ponyboy asked, looking around the looming trees. It felt like anything could just pick themselves up and walk around. Instead of silence, small chatter was around them like they were being observed—a show.

"The forbidden forest," Johnny gasped out.

What was with this school and 'forbidden' stuff? "Are we right outside the school?"

"Yeah. Hold on, let me get a light." As Ponyboy's eyes adjusted to the darkness, he could make out Johnny lifting his hands. He muttered a small phrase before a light ball formed in the air, floating to give them enough light as a streetlight would.

"Shit, we're really lost in the forest," Dally cursed. It was then that Ponyboy noticed a glowing map in front of Dally. "Navigation doesn't work here."

"Hey, why do they call it the forbidden forest?" Ponyboy asked.

"Anyone who enters never comes out. It's filled with malevolent monsters. Navigation, as we just saw, doesn't work," Johnny answered, swallowing thickly. His eyes were wide as they darted to at each dancing shadow.

"What if we go back through the trapdoor?"

Johnny shook his head. "There wasn't a door behind us when we entered that room, and we would run into the authority if we did find a door back. Plus, I don't want to see that doll again."

' _What should I do?'_ a voice came clearer than the others that whispered around them. Ponyboy looked around. It didn't come from Johnny or Dally. Someone was in the forest with them.

"Someone's here," Ponyboy said.

"What do you mean, man?" Dally asked.

"I heard a voice. Should we check it out?"

"We shouldn't follow a random voice in the forest," Johnny countered, but was mostly ignored.

"We have nothing better to do," Dally answered, shrugging.

Ponyboy led them through the forest, pulled by the voice that was getting louder and louder the closer they got. As they continued, small balls of light appeared in the distance. Ponyboy asked Johnny to snuff out the light as they crouched behind bushes. The area where Ponyboy led them was empty, or so it seemed.

In the center of the clearing was a big, fly agaric mushroom. When he said 'huge', he meant _huge_. It was as big as an outhouse. Surrounding the mushroom were small, bright lights of different colors. If Ponyboy looked close enough, he could make out small figures inside the lights.

"Pixies," Johnny murmured.

Ponyboy was mystified by the magical creatures. Their quiet voices were like bells in his ears. "Do you think they would help us?"

"They wouldn't. Pixies are jackasses. All they do is play pranks on everyone," Dally answered.

"You're just mad because they turned all of your clothes pink," Johnny whispered.

"What about you, man? They dragged you around the school by your hair. If I hadn't come along…"

"But we don't really have much of a choice," Ponyboy answered and pushed through the foliage towards the mushroom before he could be stopped. "Excuse me! Can any of you help us?"

Balls of light flew over, circling him as if sizing him up. "You want our help? Like we'll help you. It'll be a lot more fun watching you fail," they mocked in unison.

"If you like fun, then how about we play a game? If we win, you lead us out of the forest safely."

There was a pause and Ponyboy could imagine their lips curling up in a mischievous smile. "What if we win?"

"Then you can… do as you will with us."

The pixies giggled. "You're playing a stupid game. We never lose. What game do you have in mind?"

"Hide and seek. If we catch you all; we win. Give us until sunrise and make sure you stay in a group."

"Okay, you have a deal."

"Great. I'll count to thirty."

Ponyboy turned around and walked back to Johnny and Dally. Dally pushed his shoulder back. "What are you doing? We can't play a game with pixies. They'll cheat to win."

"Don't worry. I have a little trick up my sleeve as well." Ponyboy bit his lips with uncertainty. Hopefully, he'll be able to read their minds and track them down. If not, he hoped that the voice in his head would do him a favor. Ponyboy didn't want to find out what would happen if they lose.

He started to count down. With each passing number, he grew even more nervous. The pixies' voices were becoming fainter as time passed. "Three, two, one… Ready or not, here we come."

Ponyboy turned around. The lights surrounding the mushroom were long gone. Johnny raised his hands to bring forth a light, but Dally stopped him. "They would run if they saw the light."

Ponyboy led them through to forest, following the small voices in his head. The pixies didn't go too far from the mushroom. They were hiding in a hole in a tree trunk. Ponyboy peeked inside as soon as they all flew out, nearly poking out his eye. The balls of light flew away quickly, uttering, "You can't catch us!"

"Those bastards!" Dally growled, flinging his hands and blowing up a tree.

The sun began peeking over the horizon. Ponyboy had miscalculated how much time had passed since he snuck in the library.

' _They're getting away,'_ the voice in his head mocked.

"I can see that," Ponyboy hissed, ignoring the weird looks that were shot at him. "I need help."

"I thought you had this game in the bag," Dally growled.

"Dally…" Johnny muttered.

' _Ropes of twine, bind them with a line,'_ the voice whispered.

Ponyboy repeated the words, hands moving in a way that looked like he was about to lasso the pixies. As soon as he shot his hands forward, a gold rope flew at the pixies, wrapping around them and pulled them to the ground.

"Hey! Let us go!" they cried out.

Johnny looked impressed. "Where'd you learn how to do that?"

"I read it somewhere," Ponyboy lied. "I'm glad it worked."

"That's not fair! You cheated!" the pixies screamed.

"I never said we couldn't use magic. You're the ones who cheated."

"We won. Lead us out of the forest," Dally commanded.

"Oh, you're already out," one of the pixies confessed. The three looked around and saw the side of the school. It seemed like they were close to getting out since the beginning.

"Huh..." Johnny muttered.

Ponyboy let the pixies go and they instantly flew away, ignoring the curses that were thrown at them. The three walked out and all Ponyboy wanted to do was crash in his bed. Unfortunitly, he had classes in a few hours.

"We tell no one about this," Dally warned before splitting off with Johnny at his heels.

Ponyboy made it to his room, not able to fall asleep. He had too many thoughts on his mind. What was the room they were in? What happened to the doll that came to life? Maybe Ponyboy should be scared as to where the voice was leading him, but he was curious on what will be revieled in the future.

But the question that lingered: did they close and block the trap door?

He jumped out of his thoughts as the morning bell rang. Quickly, Ponyboy got changed and sondered to his first class. He shivered as he sat down. For some reason, ever since he left the trap door, his body felt like it was freezing.

The teacher addressed the class when the final bell rang. "As some of you might have heard, there was a terrible crime that was dealt in the school last night."

Ponyboy tensed up, eyes snapping to his teacher. His heart started to beat like crazy as he clenched his clammy hands. Fuck.

"A student, or maybe a group, broke into the forbidden section. However, no books were stolen. We had also gotten reports of students sneaking out of the school at night. We have no clue on who the students were, but we will be tracking the magic. It won't belong until the suspects are dealt with. If any of you see anyone suspicious, please report them."

"What's going to happen to them when they are caught?" a student asked.

"They will be expelled." Ponyboy swallowed thickly as the teacher continued. "But, besides that, your first test is approaching. Look around now because there are only a select amount of students able to stay in this school."

The class exploded in uproar. "What? We passed the test to enroll here! Are you telling us that we might not be able to stay?"

"I'm sorry, but the school only wants to teach students with potential. They don't want to hold back the better students. Only half of you will remain after the test next week."


	9. Chapter 9

**Sorry for not updating! I didn't have time while in college. I'm in summer break now. However, I will have classes and I am shooting for getting hired. Hopefully, I will have time to update.**

 **o-o-o**

Ponyboy sat at the lunch table, fidgeting with his fork. The others sat down next to him and in front of him, instantly sensing that something was wrong. It was on the boy's face: pale and clammy. Despite his shaky fingers, his eyes were blank, staring at a crumb that wasn't cleaned off of the table before his arrival.

"No offense, kid, but you look like shit," Steve commented, earning a nudge in the side by Soda.

"I didn't sleep at all last night," Ponyboy admitted.

"Oh, did the gnomes keep you up?" Keith asked.

"The gnomes?"

"Yeah. They steal socks."

"No, it wasn't them. I had a lot on my mind."

"Were you thinking about the test that's coming up?" Darry asked.

Ponyboy sulked. Of course, he had. He couldn't pass that test. He didn't belong in the school. He couldn't compete with the natural-born mages. He was fucked. "I have no chance of passing."

"Are you kidding? From what I heard from your teachers, you are one of the best students in your year," Soda said.

 _I had help though..._ Ponyboy thought. "What even is the test?"

"You are given a lot of scenarios that you have to complete. So if you learn a spell from each type of magic, you should be good," Darry answered.

Ponyboy groaned and hit his head on the table. He almost didn't catch the moment when Steve changed the topic. "Did you hear about what happened to the library?" he asked and Ponyboy shot his head up, the nervousness skyrocketing. Oh man, he was going to be sick. His eyes went to Dally and Johnny who were sitting alone at a table. They stared back at him as if they knew what they were talking about.

"Hey, I need to talk to some people," Ponyboy interrupted and walked over to Dally and Johnny, ignoring the gangs' stares. He sat down and the whole cafeteria went quiet. Eyes were trained on him, causing him to shift uncomfortably in his seat.

It was too quiet to start talking, Ponyboy reckoned. He could read minds, but could he send messages to someone else's mind? He focused intensely on their tired faces. He imagined his mind morphing with theirs. Hopefully, this would work.

' _We need to talk,'_ he thought, watching their faces morph to surprise for a second. _'Can you hear me?'_

Johnny and Dally nodded. _'Keep talking out loud. It'll confuse people. Our real conversation will be in our heads,'_ Dally replied.

Ponyboy glanced at Johnny who seemed like he didn't hear what Dally had said. He repeated and Johnny nodded. It seemed like everything was one-way. He guessed he would just have to keep repeating everything. He started an out loud conversation about the test he had to take. He didn't pay much attention to what he was saying or what the other's were replying with. It was practically gibberish anyways.

' _They're talking about the library,'_ Ponyboy thought. _'What do we do?'_

' _Keep it cool. We can't let them onto us. We can't leave any evidence,'_ Dally replied.

' _What happens if they track the magic?'_ Johnny asked.

' _Let's hope that they don't.'_

' _What was the doll in the room and why was it locked away anyways?'_ Ponyboy asked. _'It was on my mind. I couldn't sleep.'_

' _Neither could I. It might have been a golum. It looks different than the golems in school though. It had a philosopher's stone, so it's more than likely,' Johnny replied._

' _Whatever it is, just keep it cool,'_ Dally interrupted, motioning to everyone that was looking at them. They looked suspicious, Ponyboy mused. He laughed, trying to make their conversation seem more normal and uplifting. "Thanks for helping me. I should probably go. See you two later." Ponyboy got up from the seat, waving to Dally and Johnny before returning to the table with the rest of the gang. They looked at him with shock as he plopped back down.

"What the heck was that?" Darry asked.

"What? I was just talking to them," Ponyboy answered, shrugging.

"With _them_?"

"Yeah? I made friends with Dally and Johnny."

Darry shook his head. "I don't know what goes around in your mind, hanging out with them."

"They're good people. Have you ever given them a chance?"

"They cause trouble."

"So does everyone else."

"I don't like them."

"Well, your opinion doesn't matter." Ponyboy was starting to like the idea of not being related to Darry in this world. He can talk back to him without any consequences.

"If Pony thinks that they're fine, then they probably are," Soda interrupted. The small argument instantly stopped. They didn't speak about the subject anymore.

After lunch, Ponyboy sat in his beastiology class. The teacher walked inside, dragging a skeletal dog. Its skin flapped as it struggled erratically against its leash. Its glowing red eyes and long, jagged teeth glared at everyone, blood dripping from its mouth. It was an unsightly sight to see. It reminded Ponyboy of a dog that was hit by a truck then had its remains picked off by vultures.

"Hello. We aren't actually going to have our noses stuck in books today. We will be meeting an actual monster," the teacher introduced.

"What's wrong with your hand?" A student asked. Ponyboy tried to look to see what was wrong. A huge gash ran up the teacher's arm, blood oozing out of the wound. The teacher paid no attention to it.

"This, kids, is a hellhound. Invisible to the eye. Well, invisible to all but those that were planned to die by its fangs."

Ponyboy froze. He could see the hellhound. He tried to imagine what it would be like to be shredded up by its teeth, the image almost making him vomit. Ponyboy clenched his clammy hands before raising one. "Sir?"

"Yes, Ponyboy?"

"Um... I can see the hellhound."

The teacher laughed before he noticed Ponyboy's serious face. He frowned. "Oh, you're serious. Oh, no. That's bad. That's really bad."

"What am I supposed to do?" Ponyboy squeaked, panicking.

"I'm afraid you can't do anything, son. If this is the case, we won't be continuing this lesson. Students, use this time as a study session. I'll need to report this and place the hellhound back into its cage before returning. But first, I need to talk to you. Please join me outside."

Ponyboy nodded, following the teacher outside. He made sure to be careful and not get too close to the hellhound.

"Ponyboy, have you by any change made a deal with someone... someone dark... a demon or a shadow, maybe?"

Ponyboy felt his heart stop. He could hear the voice in his head chuckle. "No," he lied, biting his lip. Ponyboy wanted to tell the truth, but something wasn't letting him. He realized then that the shadow from the vision was inside of him.

"Are you sure? You're looking really sick. Actually, you've been looking sick. Are you alright?"

"I'm... I'm fine." The teacher looked doubtful, so Ponyboy repeated, "I'm fine."

"Alright, if you say so. Make sure you go and get it checked out sooner or later. For now, go back inside and study for your midterms. I'll be back soon."

 **o-o-o**

Being back soon was a lie. Ponyboy scanned through the book already and it was already near the end of the class. Most students have already ditched.

He sighed, closing his textbook and stuffing it inside of his bag. The test is in a few days and he only memorized a small handful of spells. He didn't even get to try them out. He was screwed.

Ponyboy returned back into his dorm, eyes drooping. Yawning, he crashed into the bed, not bothering to change. He hadn't been sleeping lately. If he wasn't studying the entire night, he was thinking about the golem. But, today, he was too tired to even think about studying or the golem. As soon as his head hit the pillow, he was out cold.

Of course, there has to be something preventing him from having a good nights sleep. His dream at first started out dark. It began silently until a voice broke through. All of a sudden, the silence was replaced by a voice singing Brian Hyland's, "Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini." At first, it was fine. But it never stopped. It wasn't even the full song. It was just the same phrase from the chorus over and over again. Ponyboy thought he was going to go mad.

About an hour into the repetitive lyrics (time was strange while asleep), he had enough. Ponyboy channeled where the song was coming from and the darkness turned into a street. He looked around and saw Keith sitting on a trash can, singing the song.

Ponyboy marched up to him, and Keith turned his head in surprise.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"No offense, but would you shut up? Your song is keeping me from sleeping well."

Keith still looking stupefied. He nodded slowly, too surprised to send back a snarky comment. Sighing with relief, Ponyboy left the dream. There wasn't anymore singing, to his relief.

 **o-o-o**

"Didn't sleep again?" Soda asked.

"Yeah, someone was singing very loudly last night," Ponyboy grumbled, shooting a stink-eye to Keith.

"The test is today though. You needed to sleep."

"I know."

"So this test is different, turns out," Steve said.

"What do you mean?"

"Apparently, the entire school is going to be watching you. Like a game. The test is to defeat a monster."

"A monster!?"

Before Steve could elaborate, a notification rang through the cafeteria. "All first years, please report to your advisory classrooms."

"It's starting. Good luck," Darry said.

Ponyboy gave them a nervous smile before he walked to his classroom. The teacher explained everything that Steve had said before joining all of the classes together, putting them in a line and checking them in with a number.

As soon as the first person opened the door, he could hear a crowd cheering. The students around him were just as nervous as he was, making him even more anxious. The first person returned in tears, clothes scorched. The second person also came back crying, drenched in water. Most people who had entered the arena returned crying, looking like they had been from war. All of this just added to Ponyboy's nervousness.

Finally, it was Ponyboy's turn. Ponyboy walked through the doors, light almost blinding him. Booming cheers flooded his ears. As soon as his eyes adjusted, he scanned the crowd encircling the arena. He saw the gang (although Dally and Johnny were sitting elsewhere) staring at him with attentive faces. He looked away, swallowing thickly, and examined the layout of the test. Mossy boulders were spread out like a maze. Some small while others were towered over him.

Ponyboy cautiously walked around. He was supposed to face a monster. However, he didn't know what. He drowned out the crowd to listen to a shift of movement besides his own, but all he could hear were the cheers.

The sky started to get dark and floating lights lit up the arena, barely enough to see. Unbelist to him, a boulder started to move from behind him, raising from the ground. It got darker around Ponyboy and he spun around, eyes growing wide and nearly falling down.

Looming over him, as big as two, maybe three, story houses was a mossy, ugly beast. Its dark eyes glared at Ponyboy. It was a troll.

Suddenly the troll brought its giant hand down, and Ponyboy had to dive out of the way to not be crushed. The crowd quieted down as the troll swiped his hand, clearing away the boulders it touched. Rubble fell around Ponyboy and he had to jump to new cover before he was crushed. Blood trickled down his forehead and he scrubbed it away to prevent it from getting into his eyes.

Magic. He had to use magic.

The troll's hands shot forward and Ponyboy had a split second to use a spell. His body shifted, turning into a dog. His newly formed paws patted against the ground head almost touching the troll's arm. He ran through the creature's legs, turning back human.

Ponyboy spun around and muttered a few words. The wind picked up around him, spiraling around and picking up the rubble. The cycle of wind was a vacuum, picking up anything loose on the ground. Ponyboy had to latch onto a boulder to prevent himself from being caught in the tornado. The troll roared as it was being pummeled by rubble. For a split second, Ponyboy thought it was over. However, it swung its arms around and easily broke free.

Crap. That was one of Ponyboy's strongest spells and it did practically nothing. He was also becoming exhausted.

All of a sudden, the troll grabbed his leg, suspending him upside down. It brought him up to his face and Ponyboy froze in fear. Fuck, fuck. He couldn't beat the troll. This was it. He was going to die here. Forget the hellhound. He was going to perish in the jaws of the monster before him.

It wasn't fair. They didn't learn about trolls in class. They weren't supposed to learn about them for a few more weeks. Ponyboy should know, he flipped through the book to take a sneak peek. The only thing he did was scan the page of trolls, not study. If only he could remember. There was something about them that was their weakness.

Okay, Ponyboy, think. Trolls are magical creatures that are dangerous to mages because they are... they are immune to most magic. But they only appear during the night because...

Ponyboy screamed as the troll started to swing him around like a ragdoll. After raddling his brain around, the troll stopped to examine Ponyboy. The boy, looked up to the sky, trying to get rid of his dizziness. The sun was clouded over by dark clouds. There was no sunlight.

The textbook's page about trolls came rolling back. They turn to stone after being exposed to strong rays of light.

Ponyboy reached out, chanting a spell. The clouds shifted and sunlight flooded the arena and the troll roared as its limbs stiffened. The troll swung Ponyboy once more, throwing him towards a jagged rock. Before he could impale himself, Ponyboy shifted his body into a hawk and flew away, turning back once he landed safely.

The crowd broke out in cheers as the troll turned back into a boulder. Ponyboy breathed out in relief as he turned around to see most of the gang looking at him with huge smiles.

"Ponyboy Cutis," the headmaster called out in a loudspeaker. "You had completed the test. You have performed a transformation spell perfectly without any struggle. That spell is taught at a later year. You also performed a powerful wind spell and changed the weather, also spells taught in later years. You also figured out how to defeat a troll, a lesson that hasn't been taught yet. Congratulations, Ponyboy, you have passed this test."

A smile crept on Ponyboy's face and he returned back to leave the arena. Once the test was all done and all the students were released, Ponyboy met back with the others.

"You did it!" Soda cheered, running up to him. "That was amazing."

"Yeah, how did you do those spells? They're advanced for a first year," Darry asked.

"I just remembered the spells and did them," Ponyboy answered. "The only spell that I knew and done before was the shapeshifting spell that Johnny helped me master."

"That was your first time doing the spells? You casted them perfectly."

"Adrenaline probably gave me power."

"Adrenaline also made you feel like you weren't hurt. You got banged up pretty badly. Let me help," Soda said, raising his hand to his forehead. His hand started to grow a pale green and Ponyboy's skin tingled wherever Soda dragged it over. His cuts began to fade away slowly.

"Thanks."

"Out of all of the entries, you were the one that stood out," Keith commented. "Now let's celebrate!"

"We're not allowed to celebrate here," Darry said.

"We don't have to always follow the rules."

"We do if we don't want to get in trouble."

"I don't really mind either way, but I think Ponyboy should just go to bed. He's looking a little out of it..." Soda interrupted, sending skeptical looks at the boy.

Ponyboy wavered on his feet, blinking heavily. Darkness started to creep on the corner of his vision and he tried to shake it away. "Huh?" Ponyboy asked, after hearing his name. "Sorry, haven't really slept."

"And you also used a lot of advanced spells. You probably barely had enough magical energy for that. It's a wonder how you're still awake. Go to bed. Do you want Keith to transport you there?"

"No, I'm fine. See you later."

Ponyboy headed back to his room and fell onto the bed, finally able to get a full nights rest. He slept well. A little too well.


	10. Chapter 10

When Ponyboy woke up, he felt as if the world had been lifted from his shoulders. It would have been more perfect if he was home and didn't feel like he was stuck in an icebox right now. When he met with the gang before his first class, they looked at him with worried expressions. Well, everyone but Steve, who looked like he didn't give a damn about him.

"What's wrong?" Ponyboy asked, cocking his head to the side in confusion.

"When we went to check on you, you were asleep. You've been sleeping for three nights," Soda informed, frowning deeply: a look that Ponyboy wasn't used to seeing his face.

Ponyboy's eyes grew wider in shock. "I have?"

"Yeah, it's a good thing that it was the weekend after the test," Darry muttered, loud enough to be heard by the group.

"Golly, I must have been really tired."

"You look dead. You really shouldn't push yourself that much. You need to remember that you can actually kill yourself if you use a spell that your body can't handle. If you slept like that, you were probably on the brink of dying," Soda said, pale. Ponyboy nodded. He had to be more careful.

"Now get to class. Make sure to let your body relax for a while," Darry said, making a shooing motion with his hands.

Rolling his eyes, Ponyboy left the gang to go to his class. He was running late since he spoke with the gang a bit longer than usual, but just about made it in time. As soon as he stepped a foot inside of the classroom, he noticed something was missing. He looked around and noticed that half of the students were missing. They were probably expelled... It seemed really empty without them...too empty.

He sat down uncomfortably as the teacher strolled inside. "The class is so small now. Congratulations on making it this far. You are now considered safe unless you die or do something absolutely idiotic. Now that you have passed, we can start the more advanced spells for this year. But first, we are going to go in and pick your familiars."

The class erupted in uproar and cheers. The solemn atmosphere was long forgotten. They pushed away from their desks in excitement, rushing to the door. However, their joy was shortlived when they found themselves standing in front of the Forbidden Forest.

"The Forbidden Forest?" one of the students gasped. "Isn't this too dangerous?"

"Yes. You will all go in and find your familiars. They had been informed of your arrival today so the forest is safe... mostly. Do not force them. They will attach to you if they feel you are the right one. I advise sticking near the smaller sized familiars instead of a large one. You may begin. This session ends at sunset. When you find one that attaches to you, bring them back to me and we will finish the ritual," the teacher said.

Tentatively, the students entered the forest, separating from each other. Ponyboy crept through, still wary of his surroundings. Like last time, the forest felt alive, energy filling him as if he were a tree rooted in its earth. It felt different than the night... almost enchanting.

He stepped over a root, watching as fairies flew above him, giggling. A movement in front of him made him stop in his tracks. Was that a cat? Big, gray eyes stared at Ponyboy. Its brown fur was scruffy and messy. But this wasn't a normal cat. Its back two paws were talons and its tail was that of a crocodile. It definitely wasn't as pretty as a cat. In fact, it was almost creepy...

Before Ponyboy's eyes, the animal disappeared in a poof of smoke. Okay, then... Shrugging, Ponyboy continued searching the forest. He came across goblins, elves, whisps, and a pegasus. All of which ran away before he could get even remotely close. The day went by quickly and the sun was setting. What would happen if he couldn't find a familiar? His hope started to go down the drain as the forest grew eerier. He had minutes at best before he had to return back.

A loud screeching replaced the melancholy sounds of the forest. Ponyboy's head snapped around as the screeching persisted. The creature, if it was one, sounded like it was in pain. He searched around, wanting to help whatever was making the noise. When he found the area, he saw the cat-like creature from before trapped inside of a thorn bush. He approached the afraid creature, kneeling. It hissed at him. Ponyboy rose his hands to show that he was weaponless and meant no harm. Slowly, he reached out, saying soothing words to calm it down. He pulled the thorns away, but before he could untangle the create from the plant, the tree branches were pulled apart above them.

Ponyboy's mouth gaped as he peered at the troll-like beast that glared at him. If Ponyboy could name it, it would be a giant. Its large hand shot towards him and he scrambled backward before he was grabbed by its large hands. The creature he was trying to free screamed again as the giant stepped over it.

For a moment, Ponyboy thought about escaping before any harm came his way, but he couldn't just leave the creature behind. He had to save it.

Ponyboy dove out of the giants reach again. He stared at the bush before sprinting towards it, running under the giant's legs to give him some more time. He reached the bush, pulling the last strands of branches away, scooping up the creature before high-tailing out of there. Fortunately, the giant didn't chase after him, but he noticed that it was dark. The sun had officially set and he didn't find a familiar. He sighed, slumping down against a boulder. He cradled the creature carefully. It stared at him with its big eyes, cocking its head in confusion. It didn't seem tense and distrustful like it did before, much to his relief, but he knew that it was uncomfortable.

"Sorry," Ponyboy apologized, letting the creature go. "I failed in finding a familiar. It's past sundown. Everyone's probably gone now."

Again it cocked its head, and Ponyboy swore he saw a mischievous grin spread on its face. Suddenly, the world whirled away and Ponyboy's stomach flipped. The next thing he knew, he was outside the forest, flopped out in front of his teacher.

"Ponyboy!" the teacher gasped in shock. "There you are. Everyone already came back."

"I'm sorry. I couldn't find a familiar," Ponyboy said, getting to his feet dejectedly.

The teacher gave him a strange look. "Yes, you did. You found one."

"Huh?" Ponyboy looked at the creature that was on his shoulder, nuzzling his neck. Its scaly tail was wrapped around his shoulders like a scarf.

"A spriggan. I don't see those as familiars often. They usually aren't compatible with mages and choose to stay alone. Mischievous little things. Is the spriggan your choice?"

Ponyboy and the spriggan held eye contact. He smiled. "Yeah, if she'll have me." The spriggan chirped.

"Then I'll perform the ritual now." The teacher raised his hands and a soft glow covered both of them. "What would you like to name her?"

"Hmm... How about Sunset?"

"Then, Sunset and Ponyboy Curtis, I shall completely bind you together. As long as you both live, you shall live forever together. You will mirror each other and feel each other's emotions and pain." The glow subsided and Ponyboy felt like the spriggan was like another limb.

" _I'm glad to be by your side,"_ the spriggan said.

 **o-o-o**

Sunset clung to Ponyboy's head, purring as he walked down the hallway.

"So what can you do?" Ponyboy asked."I mean, besides teleportation."

" _Oh, I can do many things. I can turn into whatever you desire. I can give you immortality if you wish."_

"I don't think I would want to be an immortal, but turn into whatever I desire?"

He could hear the spriggan cackle before she jumped over his head, a veil of smoke covering her body. She landed in front of him, waiting until the smoke dispersed. Ponyboy's jaw dropped when he saw what was in front of him: an exact copy of himself staring back at him. The copy could have fooled anybody. The only element that didn't settle right was the mischievous glint in his copy's eyes.

"Whoa..." he breathed out. His copy smirked, lips curled up like the Cheshire cat. Sunset went into a poof of smoke again and turned back to normal, climbing his body to settle back on his head.

' _I'm glad you like my ability. Do you wish to get to your destination quicker?"_

"Sure?" He shut his eyes, preparing himself to go into a spiral of a tornado. The ground disappeared from under his feet. He reappeared in the cafeteria in a poof of smoke.

"Shit!" Steve cursed when the boy appeared in front of him suddenly. Ponyboy fanned the smoke away, coughing.

"Where did you come from? Did Two-Bit teleport you here?" Soda asked after getting over his initial shock.

"I was here the entire time," Two-Bit admitted. The spriggan shifted on his head, catching all of their attention. "You have your familiar!"

"What is it?" Steve asked, scrunching his nose up in disgust. Ponyboy could feel the insecurities and annoyance of Sunset. He reached up, picking her up, and cradled her in his arms to calm her down.

"It's a spriggan," Darry answered.

" _Her_ name's Sunset. I almost couldn't get her in time. It was sunset so I named her such. Plus, I like to watch sunsets." Sunset crawled out of his arms and onto the table. The other familiars warily approached her. Sunset chuckled as the lupin got too close. Her body was consumed in the familiar smoke, turning into the lupin that was before her. All of the familiars gasped and jumped back (minus the gargoyle who just froze in place like a statue). The lupin slowly approached the spriggan again and she chuckled again. Her body expanded into a snake, scales appearing and pupils turning into slits. Her reptilian body wrapped around the lupin, still slack to not hurt it, sharp teeth dripping with venom. But as soon as she transformed, she turned back, reclaiming her comfortable spot on Ponyboy's head.

"Whoa! I've never seen anything like her!" Soda exclaimed.

"That's because you don't listen in class," Darry explained, rolling his eyes.

"It's boring. Seeing them in person is better." Soda reached up to place his arm around Ponyboy's shoulders, but Sunset snapped at him. He reeled back, looking at the spriggan in surprise.

Keith chuckled. "It looks like she has a crush on you!"

"Oh, shut your trap, Keith," Ponyboy said rolling his eyes. The group fell into silence before Ponyboy decided to test his luck, changing the subject. "Why don't we invite Johnny and Dally to sit with us soon?"

Steve scoffed. "Why would you say that?"

"They're not bad people at all. Well, I mean they do reckless things from time to time—especially Dally—but I think a lot of their judgment comes from rumors and not the truth." He was stretching it because Ponyboy knew that Dally had been in a lot of trouble, but that doesn't mean anything.

"Why not, then? Bring them over," Soda said, smiling brightly.

"We shouldn't," Darry objected.

"Darry, stop being such a worrywart,"Two-Bit joked. "You never give anyone a try."

"I'm going to bring them tomorrow. But, I need to find them first."

Ponyboy left the table, walking over to the hole in the wall where the secret room was. He glanced around, and when he deemed it safe, he transformed into a hamster and entered the room.

"Hey, Dally," Ponyboy greeted upon entering. Dally smirked for a second in return. "Where's Johnny?"

"I don't know. He wasn't with you?"

"No. Did he have anywhere to be?"

"Again, I don't know."

"Hmm... maybe I should look for him..." Ponyboy muttered to himself. "I'll be right back."

Ponyboy left the room, looking around for the puppy-like boy. He listened to the conversations around him, making the process a lot quicker. It was a few minutes (minus the time it took him to figure himself around the school) until he heard a weak cry for help.

"You fucking little shit!" someone screamed when Ponyboy got closer. He rounded the corner, instantly zeroing in on Johnny's curled up form that was being pummeled by a group of towering people.

"Hey, knock it off!" Ponyboy screamed rushing towards them. The group turned and raised their eyebrows with a smirk.

"What's a first year going to do to us?"

"He's the first year that did all the older year magic," a female warned.

"I bet it was all adrenaline. There's no way that _he_ could do that. Not even the headmaster could do that in the first year."

" _Kill them,"_ the voice in his head hissed. Ponyboy tilted his head in a twitching manner as anger developed inside of him. He glared at them, piercing his stares through their brains. All of a sudden they started to scream, clutching their heads. _"KILL THEM!"_

"Ponyboy..." Johnny muttered, snapping him out of his trance. The students fell to the ground before running away in fear, pure terror in their eyes.

Ponyboy turned around and quickly and rushed to Johnny's side. "Johnny, are you okay?"

"I'm fine. What was that?"

"I... don't know. I just got really mad when I saw them. Are you sure you're fine, though? I can take you to Soda and he can heal you."

"I'm alright. Thanks for helping me."

Ponyboy pulled him up to his feet. "Is this why you're always covered in bruises?"

Johnny looked at his feet and nodded. "I don't get into fights like people think."

So he's not much different than the Johnny from his world. "Why don't you and Dally try to hang out with the gang and me? Maybe it'll help because you wouldn't be so alone all of the time."

"Or maybe it might drag them in the same fate as us."

"You should give it a try. Come on, man. I talked to them and they are willing to give you guys a chance."

"Golly, they are?"

"Yeah. You should try. They're really good people. You'll fit in."

"Alright, I'll try. How did you manage to convince Dally?"

Ponyboy smiled nervously at Johnny. "I didn't. I was hoping that maybe _you_ can convince him...?"

"Me?"

"Dally doesn't listen to anyone... besides you. Please try to convince him."

Johnny sighed. "Alright, I'll try. I hope you're right about this."


	11. Chapter 11

Ponyboy woke up in the middle of the night. He sat up, eyes blank and lifeless. His legs swung over the side of the bed, standing up stiffly. He walked outside of his room towards another person's before opening it, a long creak resonating throughout the closed space. For minutes, Ponyboy stared down at the sleeping boy before walking over to his desk, scribbling on a piece of paper and writing a few words, before propping it up with a fold. He moved away and uttered a few words.

A dull light was cast over the paper before Ponyboy walked away as if he wasn't there. He repeated this in a few more rooms before returning to his own, lying down and closing his eyes until he fell into slumber.

 **o-o-o**

The next morning, Ponyboy exited his room. The hallways were busier than usual. A crowd had formed around a few rooms. Concern was plastered on each of the students' faces.

"What's going on?" Ponyboy asked someone, joining one of the clusters.

"They found students dead in their rooms," someone answered, not even looking at the boy.

"What?" Ponyboy moved to get a view of the room and nearly threw up at the sight. A male student was lying in his own pool of blood. His face was caved in like a bowl, unrecognizable on who he was beside the name that was on the door. His eyes were missing, leaving gaping holes in what was left of his face. Through those holes, he could visibly see the mush of what was his brain, all melted like it was ice cream.

The view of the corpse was blocked by staff. "Alright, get back to your classes. Do not panic. The magic will be tracked soon enough. You are all safe," a teacher said, voice echoing through the hallways.

"I wonder who could do a hex that powerful," Keith said, flashing next to Ponyboy who yelped and nearly dropped his bag.

"Keith, don't do that! What do you mean hex?"

"The spell was a hex. They're used for pranks. I know a number myself. They're fun."

"But this one wasn't a prank."

"No. Someone had it against them. They were all found in front of their desks with a paper. Hexes aren't active spells. They wait until someone opens a box or reads a paper for instance."

"Who would do that?"

"I don't know."

 **o-o-o**

"So, where are they?" Steve asked, sitting at their lunch table.

"They're coming," Ponyboy declared, looking around the cafeteria for his two friends.

"Hey," a voice said shyly out of nowhere, causing Ponyboy to jump a little. What was with people popping out at him today? Johnny was standing behind him nervously, finger tapping against the side of his leg to soothe himself. Dally was behind him, stoic expression and all. Ponyboy moved to let them sit down.

"Um, so this is Soda, Darry, Keith, and Steve," Ponyboy introduced.

Darry squinted his eyes at Johnny. "Are those more bruises? Ponyboy, you said that he wasn't like that."

"He's not. It's just...uh..." Ponyboy glanced at Johnny for permission. Johnny nodded, looking down at his shoes. "He doesn't get in fights. People do this to him. He's bullied."

"I don't believe it."

Ponyboy rolled his eyes. "I saw it with my own eyes. Plus, he's not the type of person that goes looking for fights."

"Fine, but I know who does." Darry pointed his eyes to Dally.

"Darry..." Ponyboy warned.

Darry slammed his fists on the table, bringing some attention to them, and glared at Darry. "Are you kidding me, man?" Dally snapped.

"Dally... Calm down." Ponyboy turned to Darry. "Give them a chance, Darry. They're not the people the rumors made them out to be."

"How do you know that? You only just met them."

He knew them way longer than they thought. "It doesn't take a long time to figure someone out."

"Remember, he's a psychic," Keith added, trying to lighten up the mood.

" _Sure._ " Ponyboy decided to change the topic. "Actually, Johnny and Dally were the ones that taught me the spells that I used during the test."

"Really?" Soda asked.

"You give us more credit than we should," Johnny said with a small smile.

"He was really tired after the whole test. He slept for days," Keith joked.

"Too bad he still looks really sick," Soda complained.

"What do you mean?" Ponyboy asked.

"Kid, you look like shit," Steve commented. He felt like shit too. Steve shivered slightly. "Seriously, every time I'm around you, it's freezing."

"Are you really okay, Ponyboy?" Soda asked, concern plastered on his face.

Ponyboy knitted his eyebrows together. The more he thought about it, the more he felt unwell. His body felt heavy like the weight of the world was standing on his shoulders. It felt like he had been stuck in a giant pile of dried ice, he was so cold. His eyelids were heavy, growing heavier by the second, and his head was pounding like someone was repeatedly bashing a sledgehammer on his temples.

"Ponyboy?" he heard someone call out for him, but the voice sounded far away. Before Ponyboy knew what had happened, everything went black. The last thing he heard was a loud growl.

 **o-o-o**

 _His feet pounded against the tiles as he weaved around trees. He looked back, eyes wider than plates as he saw a shadow flash through the trees._

 _Whatever it was, it was catching up, and fast. He could hear the pants and growls of the beast that was stalking him, even over his own heavy breathing._

 _Ponyboy glanced back again, catching its red eyes. He didn't notice the root until it was too late. He crashed to the ground Another growl and Ponyboy turned around, trying to wedge his foot out of the root_

 _He looked up when the beast lunged at him. Ponyboy screamed and closed his eyes, waiting for the impact and to feel his body being shredded to pieces._

 **o-o-o**

Ponyboy shot up in bed, soaked in layers of his own sweat. He looked at his body and examined it closely. He was alright.

"Are you okay?" Johnny asked, pushing his head into Ponyboy's view.

"Huh?" Ponyboy looked around. He was in the nurse's office. "Uh... yeah, I'm fine. How long was I out?"

"The entire day and night."

"You're finally awake, Mr. Curtis," the nurse said, walking inside. "How are you feeling?"

Horrible. "I'm alright," Ponyboy lied.

"Really? You have a lot of problems going on with your body, are you sure?"

"Problems?"

"Yes. Your temperature is around seventy degrees. You should be in the nineties. On top of that, you're sleep deprived and it looked like you haven't been eating much. Is there a reason why you aren't eating or sleeping?"

"I've been eating my fill and sleeping when we are sent to our rooms."

"Peculiar... Also, it seems like some of your internal organs are starting to show signs of failure."

Ponyboy sputtered. "W-What?"

"Yes. When I took a look, there was nothing wrong... but some failed right before my eyes, for some strange reason, before they starting to work again. It doesn't really make sense... By any chance, have you tried to do something with magic to help your health?"

He shook his head. "The only time that I was healed with magic was when I finished the first year test. Soda healed me."

"Ah, I see. He's a healing type, correct?"

"Yes."

"Then you should have been fine... Peculiar... Then someone might be doing this to you. Is there anyone that doesn't like you? This school is known for students taking revenge on others."

The shadow. "No, there isn't."

"Hmmm... Well, you better get going when you feel ready. I've written you a pass for today. You may go straight to your dorm if you wanted. You're still way too cold for a human body... If anything comes up, come back."

"Thank you."

The nurse walked away, leaving Johnny and Ponyboy alone. "It'll be okay, Ponyboy," Johnny soothed.

"I hope so..." Ponyboy's body curled as he dryly coughed in his hand. When he pulled away, his hand was red. "I really do..." Ponyboy showed Johnny.

 **o-o-o**

 _It was the same as last time. He was running as fast as his feet will carry him. In fact, it felt like his legs were going to leave him behind. The same beast was behind him, dashing through trees. It was closer than last time._

 _This time, instead of tripping over a root, Ponyboy dashed into a cave. A dumb idea. He'll be trapped. But he didn't have any other choice. The beast was herding him._

 _Ponyboy ran through a cave until he couldn't move forward any longer. Again, he turned around right as the beast lunged at him. Ponyboy closed his eyes, waiting to wake up, but he couldn't. He lunged out of the way at the last second, watching the beast with red, glowing eyes turn back towards him. It lunged again and Ponyboy cried out, raising his hands up as it pushed his body down._

 _Ponyboy, bucked his legs, managing the kick the beast off of him, claw slashing his arm in the process._

 _ **o-o-o**_

Again, Ponyboy woke up to a pain in his arm. His arm was cut up, gashed out and pouring blood.

"Ponyboy?" The door opened and Soda walked in the nurse's office. His eyes zeroed in on his arm. "What happened?" Soda rushed over, hovering his glowing hands over the cut.

"I don't know..." It was in the same spot as where he got cut in the dream. "Actually... I had a dream."

"A dream? What happened in it?"

"It was nothing."

"Nothing? Pony, you got hurt. It was lucky that I was here. That wound could have killed you."

Ponyboy shook his head. "Actually... I dreamt that I was being chased by something... an animal. It attacked me, and I woke up with that."

"Was the dream someone else's dream?"

"No. It was just me and the animal."

"What kind of animal was it?"

He scrunched his eyebrows together. The beast was a dog and its red eyes were familiar. It took a moment to remember. The hellhound. "A hellhound."

The color drained from Soda's face. "A hellhound?"

Ponyboy nodded, gulping. "The teacher to my beastiology class brought a hellhound... I was the only one that could see it."

If it was possible, Soda got even paler. "You could see it? Ponyboy, you shouldn't have seen it."

"I know. I'm dead...huh?"

"Don't say that. We'll figure it out."

"Has anyone survived a hellhound before?"

"No... but we can do it. We're going to save you."

"What if I can't be saved?" Ponyboy almost choked at the thought.

"Why would you say that?"

"If the hellhound won't get me, my deteriorating health will. The nurse said that my organs are failing, and food isn't processing in my body."

"That doesn't make sense..." Soda scrunched up his eyebrows. "Your health was perfectly fine during the beginning of school. Your health couldn't have dropped that fast... unless... someone was doing that to you. It doesn't seem like a hex or a spell either..."

Ponyboy did know who was hurting him. It all revolved around the shadow. He had to get it out of him and fast, but he couldn't tell them. The shadow wouldn't let him.

He swung his legs over the side of the bed. "Let's go then," he said.

"You're not ready to leave yet. You look like you're going to pass out any moment."

"I'm fine. How many times do I have to remind people that?"

Ponyboy stood up, a dizziness spell instantly hitting him. Soda quickly grabbed his arm to steady him. "See? You need to rest more."

"I don't need anymore. Please, Soda."

Soda sighed. "Fine... but take it easy."

But it seemed like none of them could take a break. Johnny ran to them, breathing heavily. His face was contorted into fear and urgency. "It's Dally. They've accused him for the hex."

"What?" Ponyboy shook his head. "That can't be. He didn't do it."

"That's what I tried to tell them. They didn't listen."

"I have to help him."

"What are you going to do about it?" Soda asked. "Do you know who did it?"

He did, but he couldn't tell. Dally was sure not the person that hexed all of the kids. Ponyboy was sure that he did it. It was hazy, but he was sure the shadow had something to do with it. What had happened was like a dream. It was sickening to think, but it was his fault all of this had happened. He had to end it.

"I need to go to him."

Ponyboy rushed to the headmaster's room. Swinging open the doors. All attention turned to him as he marched up.

"What are you doing here?" Dally asked.

"He didn't do it," Ponyboy spoke up, disregarding Dally.

The headmaster quirked his eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"He wasn't the one who hexed those students."

"After all of the rules he had broken, I just can't believe that. Unless... you know who did it and can bring him in."

Ponyboy bit his lips. It was now or never. "I did it."

Soda and Johnny got in the room at that moment, eyes wide when he confessed.

"You?" The headmaster chuckled. "How could you have done it?"

"I just did..."

"And I suppose you broke into the library too?"

"Yes."

"Can you prove it?"

Slowly, Ponyboy nodded. He hoped he could put his memories together or else this would all be for nothing.

"Pony... if you did do it... you don't have enough strength to perform the hex," Soda said, wishing that the younger student wasn't responsible for everything.

Ponyboy ignored him and ripped out a paper from the headmaster's desk. Memories that weren't precisely his entered his brain. He picked up the quill, dipping it in the ink, and started to write the spell, drawing the unique symbols, and watched them disappear. He wrote another message as well and folded up the paper. Ponyboy muttered a few words and stepped away. He didn't know if he wanted the hex to work or not. Part of him wanted to save Dally from getting into trouble, but another part didn't want to get in trouble himself.

The headmaster stared at the paper. "I will test the hex out," he finally stated.

"But, you'll die if it works," Soda countered. He looked betrayed and Ponyboy felt bad about making him feel that way.

"I will astro project myself, my boy. If anything happens, no harm will come to me." The headmaster's body went limp in his throne, an image appearing right next to him. The apparition picked up the paper, opening it. He read the small message, and, for the longest while, nothing happened. The headmaster almost placed the paper down before something started to happen.

The apparition froze before shaking like he was having a seizure. Blood started to pour from his eyes, nose, mouth, and ears. The apparition fell to the ground, still shaking, as the eyes started to sink into his head, and his cranium started to cave in.

Then suddenly it was over. The apparition faded away and the headmaster woke up. "So that answers our questions..." he growled. "The rest of you, leave." He waved his hands and a huge gust of wind started to drag them out of the room.

Before they could go, Ponyboy connected to them once more, sending one message in their heads, _'It wasn't me.'_

Ponyboy gulped when he turned back around to face the headmaster. He was truly, and utterly, fucked. "How did you do it? How do you have enough energy to conjure such a hex? How do you know how to perform combat spells perfectly? Did you know that performing combat spells is illegal? You've also murdered students. Words can not describe what punishment you deserve. It's a shame. You're such a talented mage."

"I'm sorry..."

"Sorry isn't going to cut it." The headmaster called a man in—probably a secretary. "Find out information on him. I want to have a full background check before making any final decisions."

"Yes, sir," the secretary answered. He brought his hands to his lips and blew as if blowing a kiss. Out of nowhere, a file landed on the headmaster's desk.

"Thank you."The headmaster smiled and the secretary nodded and backed out of the room. "Now, let's see who you are." Ponyboy gulped as the folder was opened. The headmaster scanned the pages with a stolid face. All of a sudden, his face fell, eyebrows scrunching together in confusion. "Now, that's odd..."

Ponyboy didn't want to know, but he couldn't help but swallow out, "What?"

"It says that... you're dead. You died before the entry tests... The file said that you stepped into a fairy ring and wasn't found since. So that still brings up the question... who are you?"

"I can explain..."

"Then please indulge me."

"I'm...um... I'm..." Was it really safe to tell him where he came from? But, what the heck? He was already expelled anyways. "I'm not from this world. I am Ponyboy Curtis... but not the one from here. I accidentally entered the school and passed the test. I'm trying to get back to my own world, but I just can't find out how."

"I will send you back, but that doesn't change anything about your punishment. You're expelled.

"Please, don't expel me!" Ponyboy pleaded, but couldn't say more than that. There was nothing that could save him from his fate now. At least he was going home.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Curtis. You will be sent to the expulsion room now." Before Ponyboy could reply, the headmaster snapped his fingers and the world spun out of control around him. He tossed and turned, stomach flipping, as his body felt like it was being torn apart. Then, as sudden as it had started, it stopped. The next thing he knew, Ponyboy was sitting in front of another man.

"You're here. The expulsion process will start now," he said, standing from behind his desk.

"Um... What is the process?" Ponyboy asked, remembering all of the stories that he heard of the missing students. "What's going to happen to me?"

"To preserve our secret, I'm going to wipe your memories."

Ponyboy didn't want that. He couldn't forget about this. He couldn't forget about magic or this school or anyone in there. He finally had the life he wanted (with a stretch or two). He couldn't just give it all up and return to his life as if nothing happened. He wouldn't allow himself to.

When the man turned around, Ponyboy grabbed the dull letter opener from the desk, pulling up one of his sleeves, and dragged the blade across his wrist. He gasped in pain, biting his lips to prevent a whimper from escaping. Ponyboy covered the wound with his sleeve, clamping tightly around his wrists, trying to best to disregard the sting. He glared at the man as he turned back around. The man touched his hand to Ponyboy's forehead before everything went black.

The last thing he heard were the words, _"A promise is a promise."_


	12. Chapter 12

Ponyboy shot up, gasping. His head was pounding as if he was just shot. His hands were shaking but, for whatever reason, he couldn't imagine what fore. Fuck... It must have been a nightmare. He looked around, seeing Soda sleeping next to him. Thank goodness that he didn't wake his brother up with any wailing.

Soda stirred, sitting up. He sheepishly smiled at Ponyboy. "You're already up?" he asked his younger brother.

"Yeah," Ponyboy muttered.

Soda sniffed the egg-scented air. "Looks like breakfast is cooking. I'm going to take a shower first." Ponyboy nodded, looking at the calendar that hung off of the wall. It was Monday. That meant school. It felt like he hasn't been to his school in forever for some reason. In fact, it felt like he had been sleeping for months. He swung his legs over the bed, feeling weightless, despite how crappy he felt. In fact, he felt lighter than he had ever felt.

Ponyboy quickly got ready for school, entering the living room. Johnny was fixing his shoelaces on the couch. It seemed like he crashed at his house for the night.

"Hey, man," he greeted.

"Hey, Ponyboy," Johnny returned. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah, hold on, let me grab my bag." Ponyboy reached over, exposing his arm. He just touched one of the straps on his backpack when Johnny gasped. Ponyboy put on his backpack and gave Johnny a questioning look. "What?"

Johnny grabbed Ponyboy's arm and flipped it over. "When did you get to do this?"

"Get what?" Ponyboy examined his arm. A scar that looked like it was a couple years old was stretched across his wrist. "I don't know..."

"Ponyboy..." Johnny's tone was filled with disbelief.

"What? I really don't know!" It was true. He couldn't place where he got the scar. The more he thought about it, the more his head was screaming for him to stop. It was as if it was about to burst, like his memories were rabid beasts trapped behind locked doors. It felt like he was forgetting something—something big—and he was close to figuring out what it was. Ponyboy stroked the scar, closing his eyes and breath shuttering.

Then the doors burst open, but Ponyboy paid no mind to the people marching inside. There was something he needed to remember. Ponyboy racked his brain. He felt like he was so close to remembering. All of a sudden, his brain was flooded with memories of a school and people and... magic. Everything came rushing back like a bulldozer. The scar was a reminder of the school so he wouldn't forget. He had to go back. But the question was how?

' _Did Ponyboy really cut himself?'_ Johnny's voice rang through his head.

"I didn't cut myself for the reason you're thinking about," Ponyboy reassured, ignoring the wide eyes that Johnny wore on his face. "I need to go."

Ponyboy tried to rush out of the house to find a way to get back to the magic school but was stopped by Darry. "Hold on," he said. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Out?" Ponyboy answered.

"You need to go to school."

The boy frowned. He couldn't argue with Darry on this. The searching would have to wait.

Two-Bit barged into the house. "Ready to go?" he asked.

"Yeah, Keith, I'm ready," Ponyboy sighed, not realizing the slip of tongue before it was too late.

"Keith? Why are you calling me that?" he asked.

Shifting under the looks that everyone gave him uncomfortably, Ponyboy shrugged, trying to play it off as casually as possible. "It was just a slip of tongue. I was thinking about something and started to mix what I was thinking versus what I was I answering."

Two-Bit nodded, totally believing the obvious lie. The three walked over to Two-Bit's car, driving to the school. As soon as they pulled into a parking spot, Ponyboy missed the magic school. Students were pushing each other and screaming like rowdy children. Morning rush hour in the magic school was hectic, however, it was serene after a short while. For the short while he was enrolled, he had forgotten how much he had felt like an outsider in the world where he came from. He didn't belong in both worlds.

Ponyboy pushed through the crowd of students, heading to his first class. His head was pounding, about to explode as the voices and thoughts of the surrounding people entered his mind. Fortunately, the classroom was a lot better than the bustling hallways. It was still too loud. Noe, Ponyboy was feeling irritable and miserable. He dug his head in his palm, trying to block the voices. He was so miserable that he glared at the snickering Socs that sat in front of him.

They looked back at him, sending him a nasty look. "What are you glaring at, greaser?"

"White trash."

"You're the one talking," one of them sneered. They went to sit down. Ponyboy whispered familiar words, pulling back his hand. The chairs in front of him moved an inch, and Ponyboy furrowed his eyebrows and tried again. This time, the chairs flung back right before the group of socs sat down. They crashed onto the floor and the class erupted in laughter. Ponyboy would have joined but it was like all of his energy had been sapped. His vision blurred, and he had to rest his head on the desk for the feeling to fade.

What was happening? This was never a problem before. The spell was simple. He performed it a countless number of times. This shouldn't be any different. This was just like when he started magic, but it quickly got better for him after... after the shadow helped him out. Fuck. He was only good at magic because he had an energy boost from the shadow.

When his blurriness dispersed, he could finally see their bewildered looks on their faces as they stood up to grab their chair. The look was so funny that Ponyboy lightly snickered, not realizing how loud it was until they spun around.

"What are you laughing at, grease?" one of them spat.

"Nothing," Ponyboy replied.

"No, really. Indulge us."

Ponyboy rolled his eyes, annoyance replacing his exhaustion. "I said it was nothing."

All of a sudden, Ponyboy felt the chair slipped from under him and he crashed to the floor. The Socs broke out in laughter. "That's what you get, grease."

"So, now we're never even?" Ponyboy stood up and sat back in his chair.

"We will never be even. Someone like you can't be on terms with us."

"Someone like me?"

"Yeah, white trash."

"I'm no more of white trash than you socs."

Ponyboy really should have kept his trap shut because the Socs opened up their mouths to say some ridiculous remark that would end up in him getting jumped later... but, to his relief, the door opened and the teacher walked inside. However, instead of the socs just sitting down and forgetting about him they smirked a smirk that Ponyboy knew meant trouble. They sat down, almost as if nothing was going to happen. Only, Ponyboy _knew_ ma shit storming was going to hit home.

"Miss," one of them said.

The teacher looked up from her clipboard that she was checking for role or whatever on. "Yes?"

"I don't feel comfortable with this greaser in our class. I feel like he's going to mug me. I feel like I'm constantly in danger."

Ponyboy almost snorted at the Soc's remark.

"I'm sure Mr. Curtis wouldn't do that."

"But he will. My parents don't want me in a closed environment with a rotten hood."

The class muttered in agreement.

"Get out of this class, hood!" A girl screamed (Ponyboy recognized her as the Soc's girlfriend), almost pelting him with an eraser.

Ponyboy gripped at the edge of his desk tightly, feeling his nails dig into the carvings in the wood. His palms pressed against some almost-completely-dry baseball chewing gum that was under his desk. Normally, he would be revolted, but his anxiety that took over his confidence he had moments before also overshadowed his disgust.

The classroom was in utter disarray. The teacher had no control over the class anymore. Even students who normally didn't give a damn if he was there started to join, fueled by the peer pressure to fit in. One student threw a paper ball at him, probably decorated with horrible words, starting a barrage of items being tossed around aimlessly.

"Get loss, grease!" the soc from before screamed over the loud noise. He could feel judgmental stares. Ponyboy shut his eyes tightly, trying to block the words out. The electrical feeling tingled his skin, building up in his core. He now understood what it felt like to be a volcano. All of the pressure inside of him kept building up. His body was shaking. It probably looked like fear to those around him.

Then it released. The windows exploded, shards blowing in like a wave. Everyone screamed as the shards shredded their skin. Desks blew away and papers were everywhere. But everything only happened in a split moment, before Ponyboy realized his mistake. When all of the glass fell to the ground, Ponyboy saw how drastic the classroom looked. It looked like a tornado has flown right next to the classroom. Students and objects were everywhere, the floor covered in blood. Some students were unconscious... maybe even dead. Alarms were blaring and the room was dark, or at least dark for a morning.

"He did this! This is your fault, you freak!" One of the girls in the class screamed, pointing at him with a shaking finger.

Some students that were awake backed away from him. It was then he realized that he wasn't hurt. Not even a small scratch. There wasn't even a shard of glass near him. It was like they hit a force field around him, causing a circular ring.

"Y-You did this! You monster!" a student said in a shaky voice. "Look at what you did!"

Ponyboy was out of breath, his mouth agape. He shook his head rapidly, trying to deny the statement and get rid of the dizziness at the same time. Yeah, he probably did it, but he didn't mean to. He didn't want this to happen. He couldn't help himself.

He shot up from his desk to go outside, messing the circle up and knocking down the chair in the process. However, he didn't make it that far. He stopped right outside the classroom, leaning against the wall, hands dug into his greasy hair. It was only minutes later did the police arrived. One approached him to check if he was alright. He nodded and was then escorted outside where paramedics double-checked him.

"Ponyboy!" someone screamed in the crowd of forming parents and guardians. Ponyboy looked away from the paramedics as Darry and Soda struggled to pass the police.

"Are you alright?" Soda asked.

Ponyboy nodded. "I'm fine... I was lucky to not get touched by any glass shards."

"What happened?" Darry asked.

"The window just blew in. I don't know what happened."

"I'm glad you didn't get hurt," Soda murmured.

Another policeman approached Ponyboy. "May I ask you a few questions about what had happened?"

"Yeah, that's fine. I don't know what happened though..."

"It has been reported by all of the students in your class that it was your fault for the incident."

"That's impossible!" Darry screamed. "It couldn't have been his fault."

"That's what we're trying to figure out. Please tell me why they might be blaming you. What happened?"

Ponyboy was stumped. What was he supposed to tell the policeman? It was his fault. He just couldn't say how. "I don't know what happened. I'm the only greaser in there... so it would make sense if they blamed me."

There was a rumble from above them and everyone outside looked up to the sky. As soon as they did that, a few low-flying meteors skyrocketed past them. But, if it wasn't for the fact that it was daytime Ponyboy would have thought it was normal. They crashed into the ground near them, creating a crater in the land. People screamed, but their voices were muffled by the explosion. Dust cluttered their vision, but once it cleared, everyone rushed to the crater, gathering around it like observers in a zoo.

Ponyboy pushed to the front of the forming crowd and froze. Instead of meteors, there were shriveled-up, scorched, human-beings. Next to them were broomsticks that probably had seen beet days. The people around him didn't know, but Ponyboy _knew_ that they were students at the magical school. His eyes shot to the sky in search of where they could have come from, but there was no sign of a way through the portal.

What the hell was happening around here?


	13. Chapter 13

He had to go back. Ponyboy just had to go back. His fingers twitched, wanting nothing more than to perform a spell. Don't get him wrong, Ponyboy was happy that he was back, but pease is something he will never get now. Something was up. Something big. And Ponyboy knew who was the cause of it. He needed to fix it before something more horrendous and drastic happens.

"Where are you going?" Darry demanded when they arrived home and Ponyboy instantly stormed to his room.

"My room," he answered, practically snapping. He was in a rush. He didn't have time to talk. Only, it would have been better to take his time, because snapping only stalled him.

"Hold on there!" Ponyboy stopped in his tracks and turned around, almost rolling his eyes. "What's the rush?"

"I just want to be alone right now."

"Darry..." Soda warned with a soothing tone. "You saw what happened... he saw what happened... with the meteors and all... He might need space to get it all sorted."

Ponyboy cheered for Soda in his head. "Yeah, I need time..."

Finally, Darry let him go and he rushed back to his room, almost slamming the door behind him. He grabbed a notebook and pencil from his desk, turning to an empty page. He needed to create a spell.

But where would he even start?

He knew that each spell required rhymes, but he didn't know how to match them with hand symbols. Would he even have enough power to perform a spell? It took a lot out of him by just performing a simple spell. He couldn't just perform a spell that would split the universe apart.

Regardless, he picked up his pencil. For the longest time, he tapped the graphite end on the table, listening to the click and clatter of the impact. Eventually, he placed the tip on one of the lines of the paper.

 _Transport through the..._

No...

Ponyboy erased the words.

 _Through time and space, I won't rest in one place. Two doors open, to travel to where I thought was hopeless._

It doesn't sound good, but it would have to do. What else would he have to do? He didn't know where the portal would transport him too. For all he knew, he could be ripped apart or stranded in everlasting darkness. But, if all goes well, he would need a way to travel around...

Ponyboy shot out from his desk and rushed to the kitchen, grabbing the broomstick. This action didn't go unnoticed by his brothers. "What are you doing?" Darry asked.

"I need a broom," Ponyboy answered. Hopefully, it would work. He started to head to the door.

"Where are you going?" Ponyboy couldn't answer that. He opened his mouth, but all he could do is look like a gaping fish. He didn't answer in time because Darry stood up from his chair. "Ponyboy, what is wrong with you these days?" Darry snapped.

Ponyboy glared. "You wouldn't understand," he growled through his teeth. At that moment the gang entered the house, instantly feeling the electrifying atmosphere. They stopped at the doorway to watch the dispute. "None of you would."

He was different. He was so different compared to everyone. From this moment on, he knew that whatever belonging he had left with the gang, was long gone.

He pushed passed the gang, ignoring their calls. Ponyboy was rushing outside the house, practically running down the street with the broom in hand. He probably looked like a lunatic to other people, but Ponyboy just couldn't care at the moment. He could hear the gang trailing behind him. There wasn't any time to lose them.

He looked towards the sky when he heard a rumble, and gasped when a helicopter disappeared into thin air. He had to hurry. He had to find out what was going on. Ponyboy knew that he was the only one who could fix this conundrum.

Fınally, Ponyboy arrived at the playground. Fortunately, there weren't any kids playing today. He dropped the broomstick right when the gang caught up.

"Ponyboy, what is going on?" Darry screamed, face red with anger.

"I'll explain later," Ponyboy yelled back. He really hoped he could explain later, at least. There was a high probability of him dying rather than surviving. He lowered his voice. "Look, what you might see is going to be mad, absolutely crazy and unbelievable. So, just trust me and don't interfere."

He just hoped it was going to work.

Ponyboy uncrumpled the paper that was stuffed in his pocket. He reorganized what he had written and lifted his hands. His hands were shaking and sweating like a pig. He could feel the confused and judgmental stares boring through his back. He started to chant, scrambling with his hands. The first attempt, nothing happened. The second time, he felt a spark dance along his fingertips.

The wind picked up all of a sudden. He kept going. Blood was beginning to trickle down his nose and a blue flame consumed his hands. He was doing it. He was about to do it. He was so close.

 _What are you doing?_ A voice broke through his daze. Ponyboy stopped instantly, the fire dying out reveling red. He brought his hands to his nose and wiped off the blood.

But he couldn't stop there.

He had to keep trying.

Ponyboy tried again, raising his hands and performing the spell. The wind picked up again, as well as the electromagnetic energy around him. All of a sudden, above him, the world started to crack like it was made of glass. It kept cracking and fracturing, until, finally, it shattered.

"Shit!" Steve yelled behind him. Ponyboy spun around to see the gang looking towards the sky, gapping like fish. Even though he was dizzy, Ponyboy grabbed the broom next to him.

"Ponyboy, what's happening? Did you do this?" Soda asked.

Slowly, Ponyboy nodded his head. "I'm sorry. I still can't explain anything. I need to go."

"Where are you going?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." But maybe they would now that they saw what I did. "I just need to go through that hole."

"How are you going to get up there?"

Ponyboy showed the broom. "With this."

Steve scoffed. "What are you going to do? Fly on your magic broom?"

"That's the notion."

Ponyboy had never been great at flying a broom. Everything always went haywire.

He started to take off in a run, gaining momentum. He hopped on the broom, focusing his energy on both ends. He faltered a bit but managed to levitate in the air, lifting up in the air towards the gaping hole. The gang yelled for him, but Ponyboy ignored them, excitement taking over any sense he had in his body.

What if the portal didn't actually go somewhere or lead to someplace he wasn't expecting? What if he ends up like those broom flyers?

Before he could think about going back, the portal closed behind him.

The tunnel was dark and there was a lot of turbulence. Ponyboy was being thrown everywhere. His stomach was flipping as if he was on a rollercoaster. At one point, the broom slipped away from him and he was freefalling.

Light filled his vision, adjusting quickly. He looked downward, screaming when he saw that he was meters above a lake. The lake was quickly approaching. He had to think of something quickly. But he was too weak. He would have passed out by now if he wasn't so terrified.

He plummeted through the water, the world around him darkening by the second. Ponyboy forced open his eyes. He couldn't tell which was up and which way was down. He could hardly move, and he was running out of oxygen. With weak limbs, Ponyboy kicked his legs, hoping that whatever direction he was heading was towards the surface.

His lungs were screaming at him. He couldn't hold his breath much longer. Just when he was about to lose hope, his head burst through the surface of the water. He gasped for air. Slowly, he swam to shore, lying on the sand, soaking and out of breath. The waves washed over his feet like a blanket. It was so inviting to fall asleep, but Ponyboy forced himself to his feet.

He took a look a look around, seeing the large school in the distance. He made it safely.

" _Ponyboy!"_ someone screamed. There was a flash before him, before Sunset appeared out of nowhere, jumping on him and clinging to his chest. _"Where'd you go? I couldn't sense you anywhere!"_

"I'm sorry. I'm back now though. Can you teleport me to the school?" Ponyboy asked.

" _Yeah...but you look weak..."_

"I'm fine. Let's go."

Again, the world span around him, stomach flipping as he was propelling towards the school at a fast speed. When everything stopped, he was in the lunchroom next to the gang. They looked at him in shock, mouths hanging open. Soda even went as far as falling off of the bench.

"Ponyboy?!" they exclaimed.

"I thought you were... Weren't you... What are you doing here?" Darry stammered. "Weren't you expelled?"

"What happened? You look terrible," Soda said, sitting back at the table.

"It's going to sound crazy, but you have to listen to me."

"What's going on?"

"Okay, it's a long story," Ponyboy explained everything from the shadow, to his possession, to him being expelled, and to what was happening in his own world. It was a lot to take in. It left the gang gaping like fish. "It's funny, you guys in my world had the same expression when I opened a portal here."

"You opened a portal?" Darry asked, eyes wide. "Do you know how difficult it is to open a portal to another dimension? I don't think the headmaster could do that. You're lucky to even be alive."

"Speaking about the headmaster... you should explain everything to him as well," Soda offered.

Ponyboy was about to agree when he had a certain thought. "What do you think would happen to me? I'm not supposed to be here."

"He has to let you back in the school. After all of this."

"I seriously hope so..."


	14. Chapter 14

Ponyboy took a deep breath. His hand ghosted over the big, wooden doors of the office. He hesitated for a moment before pushing the doors open. As soon as he stepped in the room the headmaster's eyes shot up at him with wonder.

"I was wondering who breached into this world," he simply said, putting down a scroll. "Why are you back?"

"I probably wouldn't have come back if I didn't know what was happening. Our worlds are collapsing. At first, I thought that it was just a coincidence, but then broom flyers are falling like comets through the sky, helicopters are crashing; the sky is changing."

"And you managed to use this to your advantage and rip through the worlds," the headmaster mused, scratching his chin. "You came back stronger than you were before."

"The shadow, it's trying to destroy both of our worlds... and maybe even more. It showed me a vision once of what it plans on doing to the school."

"And that was?"

Ponyboy gulped, fiddling with his hands. He could still remember the scene vividly like he had just seen it a second ago. "Every student...every teacher...they were all on the ground, dead. The floor was covered in so much blood..."

"We need to stop it."

"I don't know where to start though."

The headmaster sighed, repositioning his glasses. "Mr. Curtis, you had shown extraordinary skill. You performed a very difficult spell getting here and managed to perform spells in your world where no magic exists, I presume?"

Ponyboy nodded. "I had."

"Our school can't lose talent like that. I hereby reenroll you in this school."

Ponyboy couldn't believe what he was hearing. His eyes were as wide as saucers, mouth agape. "Really?"

"Yes. You may resume your lessons here. I am also enrolling you in an advanced spell class that even final years usually can't take. You need to be at your best when we bring down the shadow. I am also getting you a tutor to help you catch up with all of the years. It'll be hard and you won't have much time for yourself, but it's for the best."

"Thank you, sir. I'll do try my hardest."

"I'm sure you will."

 **o-o-o**

Ponyboy was swarmed by his friends when he exited the office. "What happened?" Soda asked impatiently.

"I'm back in the school," Ponyboy answered, a ridiculous smile on his face.

"That's amazing, Ponyboy!"

"And...I'm being put in the advanced spell class."

"Advanced? The class that less than 1% of the students could get in?" Steve asked.

"Not even Superman could get in that class," Two-Bit added, nudging Darry's side.

Darry rolled his eyes. "What about the shadow?"

"We're just supposed to wait."

"Wait while it's still out there?" Dally asked.

"It's all we could do now. We're just going to have to get stronger."

 **o-o-o**

The advanced class was not at all what Ponyboy originally thought it was. The class only had about twelve students, including him. It was quiet. Each student had their nose stuck in books. They all sat on the ground in a circle, no furniture decorated the room. All of them glanced up for a second before returning to what they were doing before.

"Can I help you?" someone asked and Ponyboy spun around, facing a bony man.

"Um, I was just transferred to this class?"

"Oh, you must be Ponyboy Curtis. I was just informed of your arrival. Please, sit down. The lesson is about to begin." Ponyboy joined the circle of students, grabbing a playing card and a rock as they were passed around. "I want all of you to cut through the rock with the card... without using your voice."

"Performing a spell without speaking is impossible," a student complained.

"Not impossible. How do you suppose you can perform your type's magic without speaking? How do muted people perform magic? You need to learn how to do magic without the use of your voice in order to be stealthy, perform spells faster...etcetera. To make sure you do it..." The teacher did a series of hand movements. "Your voice won't return until you do it correctly."

The classroom was silent. It was probably because no noise was being released when they opened their mouths to protest. Ponyboy tried too, but no sound would come out. Seriously?

"You may begin. Remember, there are many ways to do anything. This is no different."

Ponyboy stared at the card in front of him. Obviously, he had to lift it using the levitation spell... but how was he going to run it through the rock? He knew that a card could stick itself in a wall at a certain velocity. Which means that he would have to move the card faster at a shorter distance. The boy scratched his head. The first thing he had to do was try to lift the card.

He carefully did the hand-movement for the spell, but, alas, nothing happened. He tried again and again, but it was as if a snuffler had defused his magic. Nothing was working. Nervously, Ponyboy looked around at the other students. None of them had moved their card either.

Just as Ponyboy thought that the card was never going to move, it twitched. It was a small movement, almost unnoticeable, but it was enough to raise his faltering hopes. It only got easier from then. Soon, he was able to lift the card a few inches off the ground, although it was shaky. He wasn't nearly strong enough to cut through the rock yet.

Soon, the end of the period came and Ponyboy had to shift into his next class. The lesson was neither useful nor important, so Ponyboy spent his time trying to lift the card under his desk. He was too exhausted to focus on the lesson anyways. At least with the card, he was fueled by determination. It felt like forever until lunch came rolling around.

"How's the advanced class going?" Soda asked when Ponyboy sat down looking dead. He slammed the rock and card on the table miserably.

"Oh, it's a rock hard class," Two-Bit joked. No one gave him any attention. Ponyboy banged his forehead against the table next to the rock.

"What's wrong?" Johnny asked. Ponyboy lifted his head and pointed to his throat and mouth.

"What is it?" Soda asked.

Annoyed, Ponyboy ripped out a paper from a notebook and scribbled in the words, _'The teacher took away my voice until I slice the rock with this card.'_

"Finally," Steve snarked, smirking. Ponyboy rolled his eyes.

"You have to move the card without saying a spell?" Darry asked. Ponyboy nodded. "How are you managing with that?"

"Yeah, I heard that only teachers and the headmaster could do that," Dally added. Ponyboy looked at the other boy miserably. He raised his hand, conducting the spell. The card shakily lifted in the air before Ponyboy let it fall back down.

"That's amazing!" Soda cheered.

' _I don't know how I'm going to be able to cut the rock,'_ Ponyboy wrote.

"Why don't you Just shape the card differently," Dally offered with a snarky tone. Ponyboy just stared at the card with a blank expression before he slapped his forehead. Why didn't he think about that?

Again, Ponyboy lifted the card with his magic and started to roll the card until it looked like a unicorn horn.

"Why didn't you just fold it with your hands?" Darry asked. "Use your head."

Ignoring the comment, Ponyboy raised the card, bringing it down as fast as he could. The new shape allowed the card to slice through the air. It impacted with the stone, splitting through it like a chisel. The gang was silent, letting what happened settle in.

"I did it?" Ponyboy asked himself, testing his voice.

"You did it!" Soda celebrated.

"Golly... I thought my voice was never going to come back."

"I'm sure, no matter what, your voice would come back," Johnny said tentatively.

 **o-o-o**

The next time he was in the class, the class was reduced by half. The class already lacked students and the reduction made the room seem bigger than it actually was. Apparently, the missing students weren't able to break the rock yet. It was a shame because that day's lesson was interesting. The only big change in the room were a few nurses.

Combat magic.

Each student was facing another student. The hand motions were already taught. Now it was just time to see how well each student could perform the spell. The boy in front of him was calm, alomst emotionless... in comparison to Ponyboy who was timidly fidgeting with his hands, constantly shifting weights on both legs. Before he knew what was happening, the other boy was moving and a force hit Ponyboy that caused him to bite his tongue and get the breath knocked out of him. The floor left from under him and he was flying backward at a fast speed towards the wall. He didn't have enough time to react or register what happened before he crashed into the wall, cracking the surface. Fuck. He yelled out in pain as he fell to the floor. Even though all of the pain, he had to get up.

Ponyboy stood up slowly, grasping his stomach that felt like it had been sledgehammered. The boy started to do the hand movements again, and Ponyboy bit back the pain, moving his hands quickly. However, nothing happened when he finished. The spell didn't work. Ponyboy looked back up and saw that the other student just finished the spell. Panicking, Ponyboy leaped out of the path of impact right before the wall behind him crumbled. The force was stronger than the one that hit him. If Ponyboy didn't dodge, he would have probably been dead. Shit, shit, shit.

Ponyboy was running around, jumping out of the way of each blast. He kept trying to perform the spell, here and there, but it wasn't working. He didn't know how much longer he could keep this up. With each spell cast at him, his opponent was growing stronger. He needed to act now.

Ponyboy stooped, performing the spell, hoping that it would work. A near-invisible force formed between his hands and he shot it forward, knocking the other student against the wall harshly. However, he didn't have time to celebrate on his small victory. The student was up on his feet before knew it, sending another wave at him, and again Ponyboy dodged, sending another blast at the student but missing the mark completely. However, after a few shots of performing the spell, his accuracy became precise, crashing the wall behind the student who dodged just in time.

The other boy was become irritable and started to move his hands in a way that wasn't taught in the lesson. Ponyboy was so transfixed in the boy's hands that he didn't hear his teacher call out or notice anything around him before his body was crashing to the ground. A student had pushed him. His body crashed to the ground, as the sound of ripping was heard.

When the other student removed his body from on top of his, Ponyboy looked up to identify what he had heard and swallowed the spit down his throat. When Ponyboy looked up, he followed the trail of eyes of other students towards a bookshelf against the wall. Well, _was_ against the wall. It was split in half, a clean line on the areas where the two halves touched as if someone took the time to sand down the edges.

"What was that?!" the teacher screamed at the boy he was against who looked so out of it like his soul was reaped from his body. "You weren't supposed to use that combat spell. İt could have killed someone! If this happens again, I will send you to the headmaster."

Ponyboy wanted to snort. It wasn't as if his other spells could have killed him.

"Is everyone alright?" the teacher asked. Everyone in the room nodded. "Well, since we still have class time, we'll put this lesson on pause and move on to another."

The teacher motioned everyone to sit down, going in front of the room to start a lecture. "We'll learn more about your types. Each type has certain types of spells that they are proficient in. For example, Ponyboy, we'll use you for an example. What type are you?"

"A psychic type."

"A psychic type is good at divination type of magic, which wouldn't be good on fast combat. However, they are proficient in illusion magic since psychic types magic has access to the brain."

"But, illusions are useless in fast combat," a student piped.

"On the contrary, illusions are terrifying to face in combat. You see, although illusions can't physically cause harm, it can mentally or drive your opponent to act a certain way. In addition to his psychic abilities, Ponyboy is able to read minds and watch the opponent's memories in a nanosecond. They can see what you love and what you fear. I have seen many of my dear friends fall at the hands-on illusions this way. They were exposed to their deepest fears, literally scaring them to death. Some of them who survived were never the same again."

Ponyboy gulped. He could literally kill someone with his type that he thought was only a nuisance. He didn't know if he should be excited or scared of his power.

"Unfortunately," the teacher continued. "I cannot help you since I am of a different type than you all. I do not know how each of your types works exactly. So, you will have to find out how to use your ability yourself. I can only tell you what direction you need to shoot for."

After that, the class dispersed around the room. Ponyboy sat down against a wall. How was he supposed to start? Illusions are just images... so to start...maybe he needed to put his creative side to good use. He closed his eyes, raising up his hands that were shaped like he was about to splash water on his face. Ponyboy wanted to start out simple. An insect maybe? Although that would be simple, even Ponyboy didn't want to hold a bug...A butterfly should suffice. He tried to image the small, fluttery bug, but it was harder than he thought it was going to be. The image kept appearing clouded.

It took forever until Ponyboy formed a picture that he wanted. Now it was time to implement it. He opened his eyes and focused on the butterfly's image forming in his hands. Ponyboy shut his cupped hands before opening them again. A butterfly flew out, wings glowing like the sun was shining through its stained-glass-like wings.

"Very good!" the teacher's voice boomed, startling Ponyboy. The butterfly dispersed. "You need to be able to do that faster, like second nature. You put too much effort into creating the butterfly."

"Yes, sir..."

The teacher walked off and Ponyboy sighed. Time to start all over again.


	15. Chapter 15

It was months until the next big event happened. Sunset snuggled into Ponyboy's neck as he walked down the empty corridor. Most of the students already retreated back into their rooms. Ponyboy was on his way himself. He looked at the windows whenever possible, soaking in the sunset.

That's when something caught his eyes. He stopped his walking and peered out of a window towards the forbidden forest. It was dark, making it almost impossible to see, but he could have sworn he saw movement. A shadow. Ponyboy's blood ran cold as it turned to him. Ponyboy could almost make out its crooked grin. He watched as the shadow touched a tree, watching it decay before his eyes.

There was something behind the shadow. Ponyboy leaned forward as if it would help him decipher what it was. There were darker, moving masses behind the shadow. One by one, each of their eyes glowed.

Ponyboy had to tell the headmaster. They were here. The shadow and his army.

Swiftly, Ponyboy sprinted down the hallway towards the headmaster's office. He slammed open the door, ignoring the secretary. The headmaster's eyes snapped towards him. "What is it, Mr. Curtis?" he asked.

"The... The shadow... he's here..." Ponyboy panted out, trying to regain his breath. "He has an army."

"That's impossible! I put up a barrier. No dark entity could enter!"

"I saw it with my own eyes."

"You did not. It was a fragment of your own imagination. A trick of the light."

"No—"

"Yes, Mr. Curtis. Now, please go back to your room before you are penalized."

"Right this way," the secretary said, gesturing to the door.

"No! You have to listen. He was—"

"Goodnight, Mr. Curtis," the headmaster said before the door was shut.

Ponyboy cursed. He needed to do something. Flashes of the vision played in his heads. He couldn't let that happen.

Instead of heading to his room, he stopped by Johnny's room, knocking fervently against the door.

"Ponyboy?" Johnny asked once the door was opened.

"I need your help." Ponyboy quickly explained the situation. Johnny listened intently. "Wıll you help me."

"Yeah, man, but we can't do this alone."

"I know"

The two of them found themselves knocking on the doors of the gang's separate rooms. Everyone agreed to help, with a bit of strain from Steve. When they got to Darry's room, the first thing that Darry said upon opening the door was, "No."

"You haven't heard what I was going to say yet!" Ponyboy complained.

"You're going to get into trouble, I just know it. You're already on a warning. Don't drag everyone down with you."

"Come on, Darry. We're all going to die if we don't do anything. The vision that we had is about to come true. I just saw the shadow."

"How do you know if you really saw it."

"I know what I saw. Please, Darry."

Darry sighed. "Alright, fine. But how do we know if we are enough to beat the shadow?"

"We see the future."

"TIME TO SHUT OFF THE LIGHTS!" someone yelled down the hallway.

"Get inside," Darry ordered, stepping aside.

Inside, they all sat down, turning off the light. Soda formed a light letting it hover over them. "How are we going to see the future this time? We don't have the same materials as the last time we did this."

"I can do it myself. I don't know if I can bring you all along...or if I can actually do it," Ponyboy muttered. "I just need it to be quiet."

Ponyboy shut his eyes, breathing deeply. He tried to focus on his own breath instead of those of the gang. It took a bit, and he could tell that the others were getting impatient as well. Even so, he pushed on, getting deeper out of consciousness with each breath. Finally, everything completely faded around him and he felt like he was falling, being wisped through each scenario. He saw countless futures flashing past. Each one ended in everyone dying in bloody heaps. Was it fate to die?

But then, like a ray of hope, he saw a scenario where the gang were still alive. However, he wasn't in the picture. He was dead. No matter what happens, he will always die.

The scenario faded away and he gasped like he was coming back to life.

"Crist, kid!" Steve hissed. "Could you have done that in a less startling manner?"

"What did you see?" Soda asked.

"I went through thousands of scenarios," Ponyboy answered, looking at his fingertips.

"Well? Are there any that we win?"

Ponyboy bit his lip. Should he tell them that it was impossible for all of them to make it our alive? Should he accept his death just like that? He couldn't let the gang die. It was inedible.

"One. Only one where you all live." But not me...Ponyboy thought.

"What do we need to do first?" Johnny asked.

"The teachers should know that you're going to be doing something. We'll be going against them as well as the shadow and his army. Keep that in mind," Dally spoke.

"We need to head to the forbidden forest."

"Why the forbidden forest?" Steve asked.

"That's where it's waiting for us."

"We can't go in there without a solid plan," Darry said.

Nobody said anything for a while before Dally spoke up. "Here's what we're going to do..."

o-o-o

Two-Bit and Johnny were in charge of the potions. Since Two-Bit can teleport, he was assigned to get whatever Johnny needed that his fairy familiar couldn't produce. Although it would be faster for Two-Bit to just teleport them all out one by one (and the fact that Sunset could only teleport Ponyboy), they didn't know how long Johnny would take and they had to act now before there were even more guards. Their plan was to trap the shadow, long enough to destroy it. Even though that was the plan, Ponyboy knew he had to do something different. He saw what he had to do for everyone else to survive.

If any of them noticed that he was more distant and nervous than usual, they never showed it as they snuck to the library to learn spells that would help in their pursuit. After copying the spells that they needed, they were headed out again.

But if only it was that simple.

Before they could leave, the doors to the library opened with a loud creak and another light entered. Darry quickly snuffed their light out, pulling everyone behind a bookshelf.

Heavy footsteps echoed throughout the room. "Hello?" an older woman called out. "I could have sworn I saw a light..."

The footsteps were getting closer. Ponyboy's heart was pounding against his chest. He looked around. There was no way they could hide. They were going to get caught.

"Shit..." Steve cursed under his breaths.

How are they going to get out of this? Think, Ponyboy! Think! If only they could disappear.

That's right. They could disappear. "Quick, everyone, grab my arm and don't move," Ponyboy hissed. They didn't question it, grabbing ahold of his forearm. Ponyboy closed his eyes, hoping that what he is about to do would work. The person rounded the corner, looking down the aisle that they were in. She stopped, peering down. Ponyboy could feel a sweat droplet fall down his forehead. He held his breath.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, she moved on before walking out of the library. Breathing out a sigh of relief, they all let go of Ponyboy's arm, becoming opaque again.

"Where'd you learn that?" Soda asked.

"It was an illusion. Apparently, psychic types are good at them," Ponyboy answered.

"You don't say," Darry murmured.

They left the library, scurrying down the hallways as quietly as possible, but again, life wasn't that simple. It seemed like the whole world was against them that night and it seemed that the whole staff was informed of Ponyboy's discovery.

'STUDENTS ARE OUT OF THEIR ROOM. ALL TEACHERS BE ON THE LOOKOUT,' the loudspeaker announced.

"Shit," Dally cursed. "They're probably swarmed near the entrance."

"We have to go to the roof," Steve said.

"And do what?" Darry asked.

"The kid's familiar is a spriggan."

Oh, right. "Sunset, do you think you can carry all of us?" Ponyboy asked his familiar.

The familiar poked her head out of Ponyboy's jacket's pocket. 'Of course. Do you really underestimate that me that much?'

"No, I knew you could." Ponyboy turned to the others. "Let's go to the roof."

Fortunately, the staff was mostly piled on the first floor, near the entrance. They made it to the roof without any incident... It was just at the roof when problems arrived again. They were halfway across when Soda was tripped.

"Stop right there!" a teacher ordered, using magic to pull Soda towards him. Darry quickly snatched Soda's arm and pulled as hard as he could to keep him in place. Dally brought up his arms to perform combat magic, but Darry, though his struggling form, screamed, "Don't do it, Dally. You're already on probation."

But no one could tell Dally what to do. Dally just glowers at Darry, sending an invisible blast towards the teacher. Soda was instantly let go as the teacher put up a forcefield so that he wouldn't get hit. Ponyboy was quick to act. He covered the roof in a heavy fog illusion. However, blasts of magic were randomly being shot around. They couldn't escape like this. They needed to take it a step further.

Ponyboy ran through the fog towards the teacher. As soon as he got to him, he touched the teacher in the forehead, conjuring up another illusion, before disappearing in the fog again. He heard a scream as the shots stopped. Ponyboy dispersed the fog to see if the illusion worked correctly. It did. A little too well.

The teacher had his hands covering his eyes, blood streaming down his face. The image of the boys with their eyes missing flashed in his brain and Ponyboy faltered. He clamped his mouth shut, swallowing thickly before turning to the others. He could hear another set of footsteps stomping up the staircase to the roof.

"Jump off the roof!" Ponyboy ordered, running to the ledge himself. He heard cursing behind him, following close behind. "Sunset, turn into a dragon!"

The spriggan leaped off of the roof, smoke consuming her body. Ponyboy flung himself off of the roof without a second thought, landing on a giant, gold dragon. The rest of the gang landed on the dragon as well and Sunset flapped her giant wings.

"What's wrong?" the teacher asked the other, forgetting the students who were seated on the dragon.

"My eyes! My eyes are gone!" the one covering his eyes screamed.

"What are you talking about?"

"There's so much blood..."

"There's no blood. You're fine! Nothing's happening."

"Sunset, let's go," Ponyboy said. The dragon flapped the wings again and they were flying away from the school.

"Were those illusions again?" Darry asked.

"Yeah. The teacher will be fine."

They made it to the forest, seeing Johnny and Keith waving their hands.

"You have the potions?" Steve asked.

"Yeah," Johnny said, displaying them. "I have a few combustion potions, acid potions, flash potions, confusion potions, and a potion to extinguish fires."

"What potion does that?" Darry asked.

"Water. We had extra bottles." Johnny was being sassy, Ponyboy mused.

"Are we sure that we are going to do this?" Darry asked.

"Yeah... we have to..." Ponyboy answered.

The gang entered the Forbidden Forest. It was too silent. Ponyboy couldn't hear any extra voices. There were no lights from pixies. There was nothing.

"This is weird..." Steve muttered.

"Sunset turn into a bird and see if you can find where the shadow is," Ponyboy commanded. The spriggan flew off as they continued forward. It wasn't long until she returned.

'A camp is a few miles up,' The spriggan informed.

"Just ahead," Ponyboy repeated to the others. "A few miles."

"What are we going to do with an entire army?" Darry asked.

"We need to get the shadow alone. We need the army to commence; scatter," Dally answered. "We need a distraction. A declaration of immediate war. I'll be right back."

"Be careful," Soda warned.

Dally stormed off, Johnny following right behind. The rest of the gang continued forward. Soon the light of torches could be seen through the cluster of trees. They got closer, hiding behind the bushes as they waited for the signal. Ponyboy wondered what Dally and Johnny had in mind.

The camp was swarming with monsters. Tents were set up and a bonfire was roaring in the center where most of the monsters were gathered. Drums were playing, beating like a heartbeat. Ponyboy looked around until he saw the golem, eyes void...like the shadow. His heartbeat was beating quickly. It was almost time. The drums were beating faster, in tune with his heartbeat. It was fast. Too fast.

Right when he thought that, there was an explosion. Then another. Getting closer to the camp.

The drumming stopped. All sounds stopped before everything went to hell.

'Get out of there now!' Ponyboy sent to Johnny and Dally as soon as all of the monsters charged forward towards to school.

"Let's set up the binding trap," Darry murmured. They all left the scene. Hopefully, the school is prepared for the attack and they could make it in time before any real damage could happen.

"We don't have much time," Johnny informed Ponyboy as they regrouped. Ponyboy nodded as he watched Darry use a small fire spell to burn sigils into the earth. For a fleeting moment, Ponyboy thought they made it on time, but the trees were cut in half over them. If it wasn't for Dally's and Steve quick protection spell, they would have all been crushed.

"Too late," Keith commented.

"Yeah, no shit, man," Dally cursed.

"Johnny, the potions!" Ponyboy couldn't place who screamed that it might have been him for all he knew. Johnny quickly threw one of the acid potions at the monster. The glass shattered upon impact, sending a nasty, green liquid all over its body. In seconds did smoke start to be emitted from the liquid and a cry of pain followed straight after. The acid bit into the monster, disintegrating it.

"Are you almost done?" Soda asked Darry who was covering up the marks with leaves.

"Almost," he answered.

More creatures joined the gang and they quickly put them down. None of them knew how much longer they could keep up their defenses. They haven't even made a dent in the army. They only knew that they couldn't hold it much longer.

All of a sudden, Ponyboy was thrown down on the floor, a heavy body over him. A moment later, a giant arm swung over them. Then there was an explosion from one of Johnny's combustion potions. When Ponyboy looked up from the ground, through the fire and flames that consumed the area, he saw a silhouette. The body creaked as it got closer, heart glowing red.

"Shadow..."Ponyboy muttered.

"It's good to see you again, Ponyboy," the shadow jeered, lips slowly creeping into a smirk. "I see you brought sacrifices."

Ponyboy slowly stood up. "I'm not going to let you hurt anyone anymore. You're through."

"I don't think you're correct, my boy. You see, I already won. You think the seven of you can overcome me?"

"Seven against one. I say we have a pretty good chance against you," Steve sneered.

Ponyboy took a quick glance at the covered-up sigil. They just needed to make the shadow move a few steps forward.

Dally was the first to move. He sent out a blast of combat magic at the golem, but it easily passed it off with a wave of the hand.

"Annoying..." the shadow said, clicking his tongue in annoyance. He waved his hand again and Dally was sent flying backward. If it wasn't for Darry's quick reflexes, Dally would have crashed into a tree and banged his head.

Fire engulfed the golem, but again it was useless. The shadow was too powerful. But it didn't matter anyways...as long as they followed through with his plans.

The ground rumbled beneath them, cracking (careful to not mess up the sigils) the earth. Vines erupted from the ground, entrapping the golem. The vines squeezed, making the clay creek. Again, the attempt was futile. The vines disintegrated. "So annoying..." the shadow muttered, twisting his hands. In a moment, the air left all of their lungs and the seven of them gasped for air that they couldn't obtain. Ponyboy's lungs burned, the corners of his vision darkening. At this rate, they were all going to die.

"A deal!" Ponyboy gasped out. "Lets... make a deal!"

The pressure let up a bit, allowing Ponyboy enough air to actually speak. "And what do you even have to offer? I have everything that I need."

"You don't have the means to get to get to the other worlds. I'm the only one who knows how to do that, and I know that you want to take over both worlds."

"You're not wrong... but that doesn't mean I need you. I can just take that specific memory from you."

The golem stepped forward and Ponyboy shouted, "Now!"

Each of the gang started to mutter the words to the binding spell, each of their energies fueling the spell. The leaves blew off of the now-glowing sigil. A barrier formed around the sigil, shining a blue light around the golem. The shadow roared, crashing his clay fists against the barrier. The shadow tried to use magic, but it was no match for the combined energy of the gang. At least, for now. None of them knew how long they could hold the barrier. But it didn't matter anyway.

Ponyboy's breath shuttered as he dropped the hand shape that helped hold the jail up. It was now or never. He started to mutter words for a new spell... his final spell. The wind became strong, moving the fallen leaves around them in a cyclone.

"What are you doing?" Steve asked.

"This is the only way that you all live," Ponyboy said as he stepped through the barrier to the golem who glared at him. Ponyboy ripped the philosopher's stone from the golem's chest, feeling the raw power that was radiating from the stone. The golem's eyes darkened, limbs going limp and falling to the ground.

Golly, was the stone powerful. He could feel the shadow's presence embedded into the stone and was glad that he did the spell correctly. If he didn't, the stone would have burned through his hands. He took one last look at the gang, giving them a sentimental, apologetic look. "I'm sorry and goodbye," he said before swallowing the stone like a pill.

At first, nothing happened. Then a pain ripped through Ponyboy's body, skin feeling like it was on fire. One moment, he was standing, and the next, he was curled onto the ground, screaming. His hands roamed his body, trying to clutch onto what was hurting, but everything hurt. It was like every bone in his body was crushed. The power was too much. Oh god, the power was too much. He was going to disintegrate. He couldn't hold onto this power. The shadow was already starting to take over his body again.

"Run!" Ponyboy screamed to the gang who were at his side. When had they gotten there? "They're coming!"

"Who's coming?" Keith asked before there was a growl.

"Hellhounds." The shadow was mean to die, but the hellhounds couldn't do anything when there was no actual body to tear apart...That is why Ponyboy had to absorb the shadow...to be the body that gets torn apart. "Go, or they'll kill you all and my efforts would have failed. Please, just go. For me."

"I'm not going to leave you!" Soda objected.

"Go!" Ponyboy slammed his hands onto the ground, using the last of his energy to move the earth, propelling them over the top of the trees. "Sunset, catch them and get them to the school. Stay with them. They have to help defend it." Sunset whined in objection but followed orders anyway. He was now alone.

Multiple hellhounds crept out from the darkness of the forest, and all Ponyboy could do was shake. Tears were streaming down his eyes as the faces of the gang flashed through his brain. This was for the best, Ponyboy tried to console. Even though the gang here wasn't his gang, he couldn't see them die. But... he didn't want to die...especially not like this.

The hellhounds crouched and Ponyboy squeezed his eyes shut, unable to watch the inevitable. He waited, but nothing happened. Ponyboy almost opened his eyes before he felt jagged teeth tear through his abdomen. His vision was red as he felt his clothes become soaked. It was the most excruciating pain that he had ever felt... but at the same time... he felt numb from the rapid blood loss. With each second that passed, the pain lessened as he felt like his soul was being sucked out of his body. Then everything stopped. The next moment, Ponyboy was gasping, eyes snapping open. His body flung up, hands instantly grabbing his body.

"Wh-What?" Ponyboy asked, voice raw. What just happened? He was just dead. Was he still dead?

Ponyboy looked around and saw Soda staring at him with sad but relieved eyes. "You're alive!"

"What happened?"

Soda choked. He looked away from Ponyboy and that was all the boy needed to know to understand what happened. Soda saw his torn apart corpse and he had used his healing magic to try to help him before he faded away. Ponyboy took a closer look at Soda. He looked exhausted, practically sickly. "You..." Soda sobbed. "You died."

The auburn-headed teen's blood froze. He knew that he died, but to actually hear it in words is quite chilling. "And you saved me..."

"I couldn't let you die. Even though we just met, you're basically like a little brother to me."

"What about the school?"

"It's saved. When you took in the shadow, it sent a wave throughout the lands and destroyed all of the monsters. You saved the school, Pony."

"And everyone else is safe. No one's dead..."

"No. Let's go back now. Everyone's waiting for you."


	16. Chapter 16

The two trecked back to the school, seeing the gang gathered in front of it, waiting for them.

"Ponyboy!" Johnny called out, relief washing over his face.

"What was that stunt!?" Darry broke out.

"It was the only way to save everyone," Ponyboy argued.

Darry opened his mouth the say something when someone cleared their throat. They all turned to see the headmaster looking at Ponyboy expectedly. "Come with me, Mr. Curtis."

Biting his lips, Ponyboy took another glance at the gang before following the headmaster. At each step he took, the teen grew even more anxious. What was going to happen to him now that the threat is gone? Will they erase his memories again and send him back, or will they kill him?

"Why...Why did you bring me here?" Ponyboy asked.

"Do not worry, my boy. I am only going to congratulate you. You saved the school—a feat I would never have imagined. So, thank you, Mr. Curtis. Now, I want to gift you with a choice: would you like to stay here and attend this school, or would you like me to return you to your home with your memories and gift?"

Ponyboy's mouth gaped. How could he just drop that decision on him? I mean, there was no question on what he would choose, but he didn't want to leave this school as well. "Is there any chance that I could do both?"

"I'm sorry, my boy, but we can't risk this secret going out. We had to recently go to your realm to clean up your mess as well. Plus, traveling between worlds all of the time is very hard and risky"

Deflating, the boy said, "I've done it before. Why can't I keep doing it? No one will find out."

"We can't take that chance. I'm sorry."

An idea popped in Ponyboy's head. "What if I create a talisman that will allow me to travel between worlds freely?"

"A talisman like that has never been created before. I don't think that it would be possible."

"It's magic. Anything should be possible."

The headmaster scratched his chin in consideration. "Well, if you believe that you can do it, I suppose you can do both."

That's all Ponyboy needed to hear. But how would he start? Someone in the gang has to know something that would help him...Hopefully...

Ponyboy left the headmaster's office, in search of someone in the gang, who were all most likely scattered by now. The first person he saw was Johnny (although, he almost missed him). "Johnny! I need to ask you something!" Ponyboy called out, not paying any mind to the small flinch.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I need to make a talisman that will allow me to freely travel between worlds. Do you know anything that would help me?"

Johnny pursed his lips for a moment. "To make a talisman, you need to make a potion."

"You're good at potions. Can you create the potion for me?"

Johnny looked unsure but agreed. "I don't know if I'll be able to do it..."

"Can you try though?"

The other boy nodded.

 **o-o-o**

It was maybe two weeks later when Johnny returned with a giant bottle in hand filled with a fluorescent blue liquid.

"You made it?" Ponyboy asked in astonishment.

"Haven't tried it. I don't know if it'll work...it might even tear you apart."

"What!?"

"Magic is unpredictable. There wasn't a book to go by."

"Thank you so much," Ponyboy said, picking up the vial. "Really, thank you."

"Do you have an item to pour the potion on?"

"Um..." Ponyboy patted down his pockets, sliding out a blade. He made a quick eye contact with Johnny before pulling out the cork in the bottle. The bottle tipped and the contents spewed out over the blade. It glowed for a moment before fading. "I hope this works..."

Ponyboy slashed the blade in the air, ripping a tear through space.

"Here I go..." Ponyboy muttered. "I'll be back..." Hopefully...

Ponyboy stepped through, shutting his eyes. He felt the portal instantly start to crush him and rip him apart, trying to send him in many different directions. He remembered screaming through the ordeal, thinking that this was the end. He had gotten so far and this is how he goes. But then everything ended and Ponyboy fell into shallow water. He spurted and looked around, seeing the familiar sight of the park that was near his house in Tulsa. Johnny did it.

Smiling, the boy lifted himself out of the fountain, soaking wet but excited to go back home. He rushed back, swinging open the door, most likely looking wild.

"What happened, Pony? You're soaking wet," Soda pointed out worriedly.

"Fell in the fountain," Ponyboy answered.

"Clumsy much?" Steve chuckled, smirking. Ponyboy could only roll his eyes and shrug.

"I'm going to change out of these clothes.

"Okay! Glad nothing happened to you," Soda smiled.

"Glad to be back too," the boy muttered, ignoring the questioning looks from the gang members that were inside the house. It didn't matter what looks were sent his way. All that mattered was that he was back with the gang he grew up with and that everyone was alright and back to normal (at least as normal as it could be).

 **o-o-o**

Ponyboy's fingers thrummed against the desk, waiting for the teacher to waltz into the filled classroom. Once the teacher walked in, Ponyboy couldn't help but feel excitement bubble through his veins.

"Welcome back, students. It's time to start the first lesson of the day," the teacher said, a smile curving his lips. His hands rose up and the classroom around them faded away and they were all in a desolate field. "Dream magic."


End file.
